Pan's New Boyfriend
by IndigoSnake16
Summary: A sequel to Bra's New Boyfriend. Peace has returned to Earth, though it did not come without sacrifice. Pan, now struggling with the loss of a very close friend, realizes that it is quite difficult to find true happiness. Even as she and the Briefs attempt to find the dragon balls, Pan knows that there is a real possibility that she must learn to live without him.
1. A Lunch at the Park

**Pan strolled happily down the long, winding dirt path threading through the natural park.** She'd been down this trail many times and had with her a good-sized lunch—good-sized for her anyway. Summer was in full swing and the weather was beautiful. No more rain for the next few weeks and only a bright, healthy sun to fill the skies. She eventually came upon a picnic table that was quite out of the way to the typical passerby. She had to walk a ways from the path into the surrounding woods for a short while before coming upon a small clearing where the table sat incredibly stable and unmarred as if it was meant to be there. Its hidden location seemed entirely intentional, though Pan had never seen the like in such parks and it was completely unmarked by signs or any other indication. In fact, she would not have known about it had Auden not told her.

Auden was already sitting there at the wooden picnic table with his comparatively small lunch. She joined him on the other side. His long blond hair was predictably drawn up into a low ponytail and a passing gleam shined over his tidy eyeglasses as he looked up at her. It was warm so he did not wear a suit jacket and that was as undressed as he was willing to be out in public—she'd never seen him with shorts or short-sleeved shirts. He'd simply wear lighter, breathable material. He acknowledged her presence with a single nod and she smiled back wholeheartedly. It was always nice to spend lunch with him.

They'd started sharing lunch together last year and it had become a regular occurrence. It was something she looked forward to everyday—it was something to take her mind off of Malachi's passing. Her life seemed to be defined as before his death and after—she always referred to it as "the incident". After "the incident", she'd struggled with living altogether. Every other thought would return to that moment in time, when she saw him lying lifelessly in that bed. She'd lived alone in her apartment, but it had never bothered her until then. The loneliness had become unbearable. She realized that she was waiting for a call from Malachi so that they could talk about anything like they usually did, but that call would never come, not ever. Pan tried to distract herself with work, but it only helped a little. She felt utterly unfulfilled and each day ended with her wondering what the point of it all was. Her own answers felt half-baked and she knew this was dangerous. She knew she had to reach out to someone.

Auden had called her out of the blue sometime after the funeral. After complete radio silence for months, he had felt the need to contact her. He apologized for the long span of time between when she'd given him her number and when he actually called. His only excuse was that he had simply forgotten. He was reminded when he saw her at the funeral and then had had some difficulty finding the time to call her. A Pan prior to "the incident" would have been beyond upset. It would have been an unforgivable offence, but the current Pan was desperate for some sort of connection with someone so she forgave him and they said a few cordial words to one another. Auden was perhaps the most closed off person she'd ever met and often their conversation would be riddled with awkward silences and Auden apologizing and repeatedly saying that he was not good with such long drawn out dialogue. Some days were better than others when it came to conversation with him. Pan imagined that most wouldn't have the patience for such a person, but she was not particularly choosy at the moment and she liked the man after all. They agreed on a few places to meet for lunch and this was one of them if the weather was nice.

"Another feast?" Auden commented as he watched her take out container after container from her hefty lunch box.

"As always," Pan said with a grin. At work, she was far more concerned with appearance and wouldn't bring nearly as much with her, but with Auden she didn't feel the need to conceal things—she required a large portion of food especially at lunch time if she was going to make it to dinner without starving. "I see you're still on your 'diet'."

Auden's meal seemed more like a snack. It was another variation of a salad which admittedly was colorful with a lot of different ingredients, but it certainly wasn't what she considered a large portion and he would usually have a bottle of water with it. Every once in a while, he'd have some dessert or other extra food item, but like today, the salad was it.

"Just something I threw together," Auden replied—he would always say something to that effect.

He would even have his own vinaigrette or dressing with it and he would claim that he just so happened to have some left over.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a vegetarian."

"The idea of slaving away in a kitchen has never been all that appealing to me and most vegetables take less time to prepare. Out of laziness perhaps, I wound up eating just that."

"So you're not opposed to meat?"

"You've seen me eat that on a few occasions," he reminded her.

Pan shrugged. "Could have just been peer pressure—I'm always the one to suggest fast-food."

"Peer pressure," he repeated, "I doubt that has ever been a motivator of mine."

"Even when you went to school? I know that was the case for me."

"You and I probably had very different experiences regarding schooling. I assume you mean high school."

"High school, college, junior high—any of those."

"Even still," Auden said placing his fork down. "At some point, I realized that I wasn't going to fit in and stopped trying. Perhaps earlier than most, I noticed that peer pressure seemed silly."

"Well, well, a regular prodigy social connoisseur."

"Hardly. In fact, probably the opposite. I didn't mean to come off as some sort of know-it-all."

"Oh, that's alright—I like to imagine that you _do_ know everything," Pan said with a grin.

"If it has something to do with software engineering, then you might just be right."

"Well, your magical phone happens to be able to do pretty much everything."

"Up to a point," he said modestly.

Pan found that she enjoyed complimenting the man as she wondered how far his modesty could go.

"But if I really knew everything," he continued, "I would know how you always manage to meet me at lunch on time when you work hours away. Seems like an impossible task or at least an arrangement that most jobs would frown upon."

"Well, it's not exactly a secret how I can get here so quickly," Pan said with a shrug, "I can fly."

Auden looked up and gazed at her with what Pan could only assume was a puzzled expression—his sharp eyes seemed to be in the process of reading her very mind.

"Trying to see if I'm telling the truth or not?" Pan said with a laugh as he studied her.

"I certainly can't tell if someone's lying to me or not—I was just trying to decide if it was plausible."

"Your daughter hangs out with Jensen all the time, and you don't know about all this?"

"She's never mentioned anything like this to me."

"Hold on," Pan said as she stood up and then backed up a little so that Auden had a good view of her. She had his attention as she began to levitate off the ground until she was above the height of the table.

His eyes followed her, but as usual, his expression hardly changed indicating nothing of the astonishment she was sure he felt at the moment. "Quite a feat," Auden said as he watched her float down again.

"That's it? No jumping out of your seat, no shouts of surprise? For someone who's never seen anything like this, you seem pretty underwhelmed about it."

"I was aware you were going to show me something and you did—I see no reason to be surprised by it. I can't deny what I see right in front of me. Sorry, if that was anticlimactic."

"You don't have to apologize for that. In fact, it would be nice if you didn't feel the need to apologize for being who you are."

"I will try my best not to annoy you with that."

"It's not about me being annoyed," Pan said with a smile, but it was clear the other wasn't entirely aware of what she was getting at as he picked up his fork to continue with his salad. "In high school, I really didn't fit in with anybody and I desperately tried to change that. I started pretending to be someone else so that I could feel normal. It worked for a while until I got tired of it, right around the time I graduated. I realized that the world is a much bigger place than just the four walls of a school and that people are varied. It was okay to not fit into a box because there's so much more you have to worry about than just that in the real world."

"It's all the real world whether you're in school or not," Auden replied, "You're always dealing with people, you're always making decisions about your life—big or small. The same people you saw in school are the same people you'll meet elsewhere only now they're all adults and that doesn't always make things better."

"I guess you're right, but it still feels different to a certain degree. Way more responsibilities."

"For some, the transition is a gradual thing as you become more and more independent. For others, it happens all at once and then you flounder until things start to make a little more sense."

"I'm guessing the latter is more your experience," Pan said.

"I'm still learning, just as you are."

"You? Learning? But I thought you knew everything," Pan said playfully.

"Yes, my omniscience is boundless," he said finally humoring her on this point.

Even if he never cracked a smile, she counted it as points in her book, but she didn't want to push her luck. He'd returned to his food, eating in his usual orderly manner. She watched him for a moment longer than usual wondering what it might be like to disrupt that order, to cause him to do something outside of his comfort zone. It was a consuming thought. He caught her watching, but she quickly took her eyes off him as if it hadn't happened at all. He made no comment about it.

Not too long after, they finished their lunch and parted ways. It had been a pleasant meal with pleasant conversation, nothing particularly special. Despite this fact, Pan looked forward to having lunch with him. She found herself interested in everything he had to say even if it was difficult just getting him to talk in the first place. She felt comfortable engaging in that daily challenge and it did seem that little by little he was becoming used to her presence. Something told her that he had very few people in his life in which that was the case.

She returned to her work mentally rejuvenated and fully ready to take on the stresses that naturally came with caring for pets. Her work demanded that she be compassionate and considerate of everyone's feelings no matter if that someone could not always verbalize their issues or pain. She felt she was quite good at reading animals as well as humans and this made her workflow much smoother. She was gentle when she needed to be and stern when there was no other alternative.

That day had been a long one and she was glad when she left the office late in the evening. She was supposed to get off a bit sooner, but that was not the case. As had become habit, she sent Auden a text message as she drove home for the day. _Hope you had a lovely day at work._

She would always send something of that effect and he would text back a few minutes after with something thoughtful and meaningful, often longwinded. He was far more eloquent in his writing than he was in speaking. She anticipated his reply, but this time it did not come in the usual span of time. She assumed he was busy and didn't think too much of it until an hour passed and she was done preparing and eating supper for herself. _Everything alright?_

There was no response after a few minutes. She then sought him out with her ki sense. His signature had always been distressingly weak even when he stood right in front of her and she was still not familiar enough with his signature to pick him up at a moment's notice. When she couldn't sense him at all, she panicked perhaps more than what was necessary and flew off into the air to where he lived.

She made it to his place in record time and once there she could sense him again alive, but likely not well. Worried, she knocked on the door without further ado, but no one answered the door. The only one inside was Auden. Aster must have been elsewhere possibly at the Briefs.

"Auden, it's me," Pan called out as she knocked harder.

It was an impromptu visit and she knew he wasn't particularly good with unscheduled things, but this was an emergency. He felt weaker than usual and she could not figure out why. 'Please,' Pan thought to herself, 'Please just let this be some false alarm.' When no one answered for a while longer, she tried turning the doorknob and she immediately found that it was not locked— _very_ unlike Auden. Even if he lived in a nice apartment complex, he always locked his door and he insisted upon it. Something was definitely wrong.

She stepped into his place, realizing as she looked around that she'd never been inside before. It was a tidy place, everything appeared to be functional yet it felt neglected. There was a living room she immediately stepped into from the front door and the sofa seemed as if no one had ever sat in it—it was just there for decoration. There was no discernible dent in the cushions indicating any sign of long use. The flat screen was a bit dusty along with the tables. As she stepped further in, she found Auden sitting at the dining room table that was surprisingly well-polished and clear of dust, but his head was lying face down on folded arms at the table. He had a steady heartbeat and his energy, now that she could see him with her own eyes, felt extremely languid. Maybe he'd just had a long day at work.

Just to make sure, she moved over to him. She hesitated as she reached out to touch his forehead. He hated being touched, but this was necessary. She needed to check his temperature. Very slightly, she lifted his head so that she could slip in her hand to feel his forehead. Just as she thought, he was burning up.

"Auden," she said gently with her voice close to his ear, "Wake up—it would probably be better if you laid down."

He moaned a little, but she doubted he was really responding to her—his eyes were still closed not to mention he still wore his glasses. Pan imagined that this must have been a very sudden episode as she couldn't imagine someone choosing to sit at a table when his own bed was right around the corner.

"C'mon," Pan said as she sat him up on her own and this time she received no response whatsoever. His head lolled to the side. She felt for his temperature again and she became a bit more worried for him. Had it gotten worse?

Eventually, she took him out of his chair and brought him to the very unused couch—she didn't feel right barging into his bedroom. Once she placed him there, he moved about of his own accord instinctively making himself a bit more comfortable. Though he tried, he looked utterly _un_ comfortable. His eyebrows were furrowed a bit and his skin was beading with sweat. She needed a cold rag, she thought. Giving him medicine probably wouldn't be a good option since she knew he was already on quite a bit of them and there was likely a very short list of over-the-counter drugs he could use to help in these sorts of situations without it reacting badly with whatever he did take.

Pan looked around a bit at the small apartment and found the linen quickly enough—it was the first door to the only hallway in the place. Quickly she soaked the rag with cold water and placed it over his forehead. He took a longer breath at this and his head turned slightly to the side in what seemed like frustration. Pan sat down on the smaller couch nearby knowing that it might be awhile before his fever broke—she decided to stay until she knew he would be alright. Every few minutes, she would re-wet the rag. After the second time, she also ran the cool rag over his face. She debated with herself whether she should also unbutton his shirt. In fact, she stood staring down at those buttons for a good five minutes before finally deciding against it. He likely wouldn't like that. It was bad enough she'd basically broken into his place.

Almost half an hour passed before his temperature returned to acceptable levels—she'd taken the rag away and set it on the living room table. She wondered if she should leave and pretend as if she hadn't entered at all, but she supposed it was too late for that sort of thing. He'd likely be confused as to how he'd made it to a couch and Pan supposed that it probably wouldn't be a good thing for Auden to think there was some inexplicable gap in his memory. It would be far less jarring to simply stay.

"Pan?" He asked wearily. He seemed to regain his awareness soon after his fever passed. His eyes afforded her a glance as he sat up slowly. "What are you doing here?" He'd drawn one leg up and one of his arms rested upon the knee.

She couldn't immediately sense his unease as his tone revealed nothing, but she did notice as his eyes travelled to the table he'd been sitting at before.

"You didn't return my text—I got a little worried. I had to make sure you were alright."

She could sense his heart rate increasing steadily as his breath quickened. It was just like on the day they first met and he appeared to be hyperventilating. Only in hindsight did she realize that she must have been standing too close to him. Now, here it was again—the very thing she'd been trying to avoid. All that progress she supposed she'd been making with him seemed meaningless as she watched his hands begin to tremble. He tried to hide this as he clasped his hands together. She wanted to reach out to touch and hold him, but that would surely make things worse. There was nothing really she could do. Given time, she knew panic attacks was something that could ease off on its own.

"I should leave," Pan said standing up abruptly, "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to startle or intrude on your personal space." She moved two paces before he spoke further.

"You came all this way here…out of concern. I'm grateful," he said between breaths. This stopped her in her tracks. "I'm very grateful," he said, "Please…you don't have to leave if you don't want to."

Pan looked back at him, but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were closed and his head lowered as his rapid breathing continued. "A-Are you sure? I don't want to make it worse."

"You're fine. I'm just…being silly. Someone else other than my daughter in the apartment—I suppose I wasn't ready for that. My apologies."

"Please don't apologize. I completely understand. I just barged in here and you had no idea I was even here. It is a bit startling," Pan said watching the other.

He leaned his head against the back of the couch with a pained expression. "It's just silly," he said breathlessly.

"Is there anything I can do?" Pan asked as she moved slowly back to where she'd been sitting before. His condition had not changed.

"Just…give me a minute," he managed to reply.

Pan sat quietly then as she waited for the other to regain his composure, but it was not something that occurred instantly. It was something that he struggled with and she witnessed it for herself. A multitude of feelings went through her as she saw this. She just wanted to embrace him and reassure him that everything was okay, but that was too simplistic and in reality, that wouldn't work at all. Eventually, his breathing did slow and he began to do so evenly. She didn't speak though there was a lot that she wanted to say. He hadn't turned his head towards her yet. Perhaps he still needed some time. Did he even remember that she was in the room?

"A certain feeling just hits me," Auden said quietly, effectively breaking the drawn-out silence, "even when objectively I understand that it's not a significant event. I always worry. I always panic. In that moment, it becomes inescapable." He looked at her fully now. "I make for terrible company. You'd have a far less stressful time anywhere else."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Pan said with a brief smile.

He shook his head slowly. "Sometimes, I don't know what to make of you. Nonetheless, I'm fine. That fever from earlier—a fairly routine occurrence. A minor side effect from my medication."

"Minor? Routine? You were burning up. Prolonged fevers or one that reaches too high of a temperature could be fatal," Pan said determinedly, "It's no small matter."

"It always passes just as quickly as it comes," Auden said with sigh, "And there isn't much else I can do about it."

"I assume you've told your doctor about all this."

"Of course, I have. The pros and cons were weighed and it was decided that the medication which caused the symptoms was vital for my continued positive…mental health."

"And you have to take all those medications?" Pan asked probing him a bit further.

"I've spoken to plenty of psychiatrist in the past and they all agree on this."

"That's not what I mean. I know you wouldn't be taking them if they weren't prescribed to you."

"Then what do you mean?" he asked perplexed.

"Have you ever tried working on those issues you do have, coping with them better? At the very least, something like that might reduce how much you have to take."

"That's easier said than done," he said looking away from her. She wondered if she'd reached a sore subject. "I tend to avoid things altogether and life has become much simpler for me though not entirely conducive to meeting new people."

"But you do work. You interact with others all the time because of that. I think that's a huge achievement."

"It's very draining," he said with a sigh, "And I know that if I ever quit that job, I'd go and hide in a hole somewhere so that I would never be disturbed by another breathing soul."

"So…you hate being around people in general, then?" Pan asked.

"Hate is such a strong word. Perhaps a dislike. If it's people that I know or are used to, it becomes significantly more manageable, but with a crowd full of strangers, paranoia sets in rather quickly. It has always been that way perhaps worse in the past."

He was sitting normally on the couch now with his feet on the floor. His eyes met hers and she was battling the blush that was coming to her face. Rarely did he engage her so exclusively. He often had something else to distract his eyes, his cellphone being the usual culprit.

"I—well, there's something I've been meaning to ask. I suppose I've been hesitating because I'm afraid of the answer you might give."

"Imagining you afraid of something is a bit of a challenge," he replied.

Pan laughed at this, "It happens, believe it or not. I just wanted to know and maybe you're just too polite to say, but do I…annoy you? I mean, I text you almost every day expecting a reply from you. I ask you to do things that you probably wouldn't do anyway. Am I just a complete nuisance at this point?"

"Not you, Pan," he said back. Hearing her name on his lips made her feel a bit giddy—he didn't often utter it. "I keep wondering when it is you'll come back to your senses and realize that there are far better people to hang out with for far less hassle. I may not like being around a lot of people at once, but that doesn't mean I hate all modes of interaction. And if you recall, sometimes I initiate a phone call rare though it may be. I treasure our friendship, however long you wish to humor me."

"I had no idea. Sometimes it's just hard to tell. It's sort of a privilege that you even humor _me_. When will you get it through your head? I just genuinely like being around you. I like to drag you out to places I'm sure is completely out of your comfort zone."

"That's true," he said sitting back on the couch. "And yet I don't mind. You seem like a powerful woman without a fear in the world—it's difficult not to admire that. It's difficult not to want to be around such an aura."

She was certainly blushing now and she wondered if he noticed. "You really flatter me too much." No one had ever described her in such a way. No one had ever _admired_ her. This genius, this man whose mind worked on a level far beyond what she was capable had found her worthy of admiration.

"Perhaps not enough," he replied which did nothing for her burning ears. "I was going to text you back. It was, in fact, a lovely day at work. No sudden, unexpected issues came up. I was not needed at some other location on short notice. Everyone came in on time. And yet I was kept busy and the time went swiftly. I hope it was the same for you."

"Well, not exactly. It's always hectic at the office and sadly there's always people we have to turn away when the time starts winding down. It always bothers me, but otherwise we'd be in there all day without break. It's easy to lose track of time."

"It must be difficult having to deal with life and death situations on such a constant basis. It takes a certain kind of strength to bear it so effortlessly."

"It's all out of love," Pan said. "I like being able to help those in need."

"I see," he replied a moment later in a tone that wasn't nearly as pleasant as before.

Pan's eyebrows furrowed a little wondering if she'd somehow made him upset, but his countenance revealed nothing. It was at times like these that she wished she could read what was on his mind.

"Well," she began, worried that she'd overstayed her welcome, "I should be going, it's getting late and it seems like you're doing just fine."

"I suppose it is," Auden said without any hint of hesitation.

She stood up at this. "I'll be going then."

He didn't stop her as she made her way to the door, but he did stand up and follow her, making sure there was quite a bit of distance between them. She stopped before the door, placing her hand on the knob.

"Have a pleasant evening," Pan said glancing behind her. She smiled at him, but he appeared unmoved.

"You as well," he replied with little pretense.

She stood at the door for a moment longer than usual and then decided she couldn't take another step until she got to the bottom of his sudden change in attitude. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"I'm just tired."

She glanced back at him again and noticed his thumb and ring finger pinching the bridge of his nose—maybe he was telling the truth. "Are you sure that's all?"

"We should talk later," he said plainly.

Pan sighed exasperatedly, "So it _is_ something else. Just tell me, alright? It's not like I'm in a rush to get home." She turned completely to him.

His eyes met hers and he gazed at her for a few moments before answering her. "You like helping animals and people as well," he stated and she nodded at this. "I can't help but think that I'm your next patient. You see some kind of challenge to overcome and that intrigues you. Something entertaining to do in the short-run before it becomes tiresome and passé."

"Auden, where are you getting all that from? Have I ever given you the impression that I think of you like that? I…don't know if you realize it or not, but since the very first time I laid eyes on you, I was interested, very interested in you. I hadn't even known your name. You were a complete stranger. I know it's been a while since that time—a lot has happened since then, but that feeling hasn't changed."

"I'm not sure I follow. How could you be interested in someone you don't even know?"

His confusion puzzled her. She thought it was pretty obvious seeing as there was only one thing a person could observe about another from afar: their appearance. He was quite handsome in her eyes. She had a soft spot for blonds and the sharp blueness of his eyes were mesmerizing. Were he a more approachable person, she had no doubt that suitors would have been lining up. Pan grinned at him. "You know, I think I'll let you figure that out for yourself. In the meantime, I think I really should get going. I have an early start tomorrow, as do you."

"You're right," he said after a pause a little longer than usual. He must still have been trying to figure it all out. "In that case, good night. Have a safe flight home."

"I always do," Pan said turning.

She was glad to be back on good terms with him. It was a short-lived disagreement. Though his mood could quickly sour, it could just as easily be recovered. Auden wasn't one for keeping secrets so it was easy for her to find out what was bothering him.

Happy with how the evening ended, she took a bit longer than usual getting home. It was a lovely night and she wanted to bask in her good mood. Once she was finally in the bed comfortably, all she could see was Auden looking directly at her, but what really surprised her was the bright smile on his face—it was beautiful. One day she might see him when he was happy. One day, whatever hefty baggage he carried within himself, would vanish completely. For now, things were fine the way they were.

* * *

 **AN** : Hello, fellow readers, I know it's been awhile since the first part of this saga ended. I took some time to focus more on life, but I've been missing this story for a while. I've been using what little free time I have to enter some original stories into writing contests. I think I'm getting better, but I really need to get this story out of my system as I constantly find myself returning to it.

Now, I haven't finished the outline for this whole thing, but I've written a great deal and thought I might give everyone a taste what is to come. Expect updates to come once or twice a month with some periods of rapid updates after I finish the outline.


	2. A Little Dinner

Pan woke up with a smile on her face. It was a first for her as lately she'd had little to smile about. Today was different and she knew it had something to do with Auden and his continued presence in her life. Speaking of him, she noticed a new text message from him. _Good morning, hope your rest was peaceful and rejuvenating. There should be a package in your mailbox. It's something I've been working on for you for quite some time. I hope you find it to your liking._

'He got me a gift? Wait, he _made_ me something?' Pan thought to herself with growing excitement. _Good morning to you as well and thank you; I can't wait to find out what it is_ , she texted back. With her good mood cemented, she quickly climbed out of bed to get herself ready for the day. While her breakfast was cooking, she made the short trek downstairs to her mailbox which was set beside everyone else's in that building. Auden hadn't given her any indication that he was even pondering giving her something. He'd never done so before. Valentine's Day would come and go and he'd have nothing to show for it. In fact, when she told him what day it was on the day of, he stated that he wasn't even aware. Those sorts of things were of no concern to him. Perhaps he was aromantic and didn't believe in wooing others. Maybe she was assuming too much. Did he even consider them dating or was that all in her head? It wasn't as if they'd talked about it all properly. Neither had yet to put labels on whatever it is they had together.

Pan found the small box and at first thought it was some sort of jewelry, but when she picked it up, she felt its hefty weight—much too heavy for jewelry with reasonable price tags. Auden was too logical of a person to ever consider purchasing such a thing. Her curiosity was piqued when she hurriedly made it back inside so that she could rip open the box.

Inside the box, was a thin golden cellphone without a logo on it. The device was either custom made or completely bootleg. Pan hoped it was the former. Did he think that she needed a new cellphone? She wondered if he'd just noticed her phone one day and decided that it wasn't "good" enough. Auden could talk for hours about the merits of one device over the other. Sometimes she felt as if he'd be more suited to being some sort of tech analyst rather than just dealing with tech support exclusively.

Pan was able to turn on the phone without charging. In fact, there was no charger with it and no space around the phone for a charging cable. Maybe this was some sort of prototype and already she was finding the flaws. She was tempted to text and ask him what the heck he'd given her, but she wanted to discover it for herself. Maybe she might impress him with her own skills of deduction. The screen came alive quickly with a logo she'd not seen before and a woman's voice spoke to her.

"Good morning, what would you like me to do for you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed at this—a digital assistant? She was waiting for the phone to show her the welcome screen or something for her to press, but the symbol of the cute little tiger cub remained patiently waiting for her to say something.

"Ummm…what _can_ you do?" Pan asked unsure of what to do next.

"Everything," the woman answered in pleasant tones.

"You can't just do everything," Pan said matter-of-factly.

"Of course not, I don't have arms and I'm just a voice, but compared to any other digital assistant—I can do anything. Within reason, of course."

Pan looked at her phone quizzically. That didn't quite answer her question, but she was already coming up with things to ask on this basis. Maybe she meant that she could do anything that a typical app might be able to do. "What's your name?"

"Ty," the woman said exclusively.

"Thai? Like the food?"

"No, like the abbreviation of a certain person we both mutually know."

On the screen, Pan was shown the spelling of the name and she immediately understood. 'Tyga', Pan thought to herself, 'Auden Tyga'. "That's a strange name to have," Pan said, "But maybe it'll grow on me."

"Well, it'll be a hard one to forget. I like to keep things short and simple," Ty responded.

"I bet you do. Now let me see…Can you turn on the television?"

"Of course," Ty replied with some smugness.

Pan looked up in surprise when the flat screen turned on instantly. "Wow…" she said almost to herself.

"I know, but that was simple. Give me something a bit more difficult," Ty said.

"Can you turn on and off the lights three times and turn off my phone?"

Almost instantly, the lights turned on and off three times and her phone began the long sequence of turning off completely.

"I can make that process go a bit faster—most phones have a lot of redundancy," Ty said. Then her phone's screen went dark instantly. "Now it will turn on and off at the same accelerated pace each time. You're welcome."

"Did you just optimize my phone?" Pan asked.

"Against my better judgement as I'm in direct competition for your attention—but, yes, I did. An easy fix."

"Can you optimize my PC as well?"

"Hold on. Wow, a few years old, huh? It should be working like new when you next turn it on."

Pan stood up and went to her laptop which was on the dresser and proceeded to turning it on. Much like her phone, it turned on instantly. Her PC had never been that fast before, but then she'd gotten it used in the first place. "So you're just a super convenient tech support device?" she asked enjoying the swiftness of new windows and apps opening on the computer screen.

"That's a bit of a small box to put me in. I can do anything within reason, meaning as long as I can communicate with said device or grid or internet or Bluetooth or network—I can manipulate the programing," she informed her.

"You could have told me that earlier instead of just 'everything'."

"I was programmed that way. Mystery makes me more interesting and nuanced. I can give several different answers to the same question just like a normal person."

"None of them, blatant lies, I hope."

"Sometimes," Ty conceded, "To keep things interesting. All you have to do though is ask 'are you lying' and I'll tell you yes or no truthfully."

"I see. That's an odd little mechanic. A bit unnecessary, if you ask me."

"Luckily, no one did," Ty said back in a sarcastic tone.

This surprised Pan. "Aren't you supposed to be nice and helpful?"

"I am and perhaps entertaining as well."

"Alright, I think I get it now," Pan said shaking her head with a grin. "So Auden created you and I'm just the test subject. I don't know why he decided to just arbitrarily gift this to me."

"I'm not a test. I'm fully functional as he wanted me to be."

"If that's the case…" Pan said slowly, "I mean, this must have taken years to develop and then all he does is give it to me? Seems like something you could sell or make a business out of. Soon A.I.'s could be taking over the world."

"I am not a learning A.I. I know only what is programmed. Also, there would be no benefit for me to assume constant control over things nor is that possible. The system is too fragmented and not all people partake in technology at equal levels."

"You make a good point, Ty."

"No need to worry."

"That's yet to be decided. Think I'll shut you off for now. Is that alright—"

The phone quickly blackened and cut off completely much to her further surprise. She hadn't even finished speaking. Was that supposed to happen? "Ty, turn on."

The phone remained turned off. She repeated herself and the phone didn't respond. A little miffed, she felt for the few buttons on the device and thought she found the power button. With a press, the phone was turned back on without a second's delay.

"So you can't just turn yourself back on?" Pan asked.

"When systems are shut off, I cannot respond to requests."

"Seems like a technical flaw," Pan said.

"Do you really want me listening even after you turn me off?"

"Hmmm…you have a point. Alright, shut off—Need to get ready for work," Pan said.

Without further ado, the phone's screen blackened. Pan was a bit speechless. Why had Auden given her this? For what purpose? Was he trying to show off? She didn't mind it much if he was, but it seemed unlike him. She texted him: _Interesting gift._ He texted back: _Do you not like it?_ She typed back quickly: _The jury is still out on that. I don't understand. Why did you give me this?_ It took him a while to reply and it was a long one: _I thought you might like it. You always seemed to enjoy the phone that I had. Though I could not give you that one as it has a terrible user interface for anyone not well-versed in computer language, I decided to simplify things and perhaps give you some sort of program of equal versatility. Then it grew into a longer project. The framework had already been laid out years ago—some long, forgotten idea that became a convenient one to revisit. There is no UI, but rather a voice. It doesn't have much of a graphics card—not much can be displayed on the screen—but it is a robust system nonetheless. If you have any questions, please ask. I do hope it will be of some convenience to you."_

Pan read this as she shoveled her breakfast into her mouth. She would be late for work at this rate. She hadn't expected all of this, but she was not upset about it. She would have to ask him questions later. Despite that, she did put the mysterious device in her purse, thinking she might just have some use for it after all. After climbing into the car and driving out into the main streets, she found herself sitting at long red lights as was the case each day she drove to work. Pan took out her phone as a thought came to her. She turned it on and the cute little fuzzy tiger cub appeared on the screen.

"Could you…turn the red lights green for me all the way to work." This was a test. She didn't expect for this to work. She expected a sarcastic reply about how ridiculous her request was.

"Of course. Hold on. Now you should be fine."

The traffic light eventually turned green. It wasn't instant and this was probably for good reason as other cars would have needed time to slow and stop. Much to her delight, she drove uninterrupted to work and made it there minutes before her shift began. Pan decided right then and there, that she loved the wonderful new phone. Who knew what else she could use it for? Pan looked around once again for the charging cord slot, but she couldn't find it. She'd have to ask Auden about it later.

/

Pan was pleasantly surprised when her phone began to ring and the caller ID read _Auden_. It was the evening of the next day and she was just settling down in her apartment. She answered with a smile on her face.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Hello," he replied in a tone that was frustratingly neutral. It had an almost robotic quality to it. She couldn't tell if he was happy or not. He _had_ called on his own, however. "There is a new restaurant that has opened up nearby where I live that I've been interested in going to for some time now. Would you care to join me?"

Pan wasn't sure what had prompted such a thing—he'd never invited her to go somewhere with him. On his own admittance, he rarely went anywhere outside of work and home. This was an odd, but welcome occurrence. She couldn't help but question him just a bit. "What's the occasion?"

"I passed by the place once more today. I do that every single time I go home and I always tell myself that I should go there if I'm interested. Then I see all the cars, all the people, and it's an unknown. I've never been inside and I don't know what to expect. So I tell myself, I'll do it later. Not today, but tomorrow when I'm ready. I do that over and over again until I decide that I'm quite tired of waiting. That's the occasion," he finished wearily.

"Well," Pan said as she silently sympathized with his inability to do something that most would consider quite simple, "the wait is over. I'll be there soon, alright? You caught me right before I started making myself dinner."

"Thank you," he replied.

"You're thanking me? You're the one taking _me_ out. Otherwise, I'd just spend dinner by myself watching something on TV."

"This was a bit impromptu. I should have given you more time to decide. I knew, however, that if I did not do this now that I would lose my nerve to do so and continue as always, still wondering what that restaurant might be like."

Pan had her cell on speaker phone listening to him as she rifled through her closet to find something nice to wear. She found a pair of form fitting blue jeans to wear and a red and white shawl-like blouse. She threw on her red sandals and took off from her balcony.

"Don't worry, I completely understand. I know this must be a big deal for you, I'm glad you called. If it's within my power, I will support you no matter what."

"That is a bold claim," Pan heard the other say with the same neutral tone, "One that I can barely hear over the gusting winds. I assume you're on your way. We'll talk more when you get here."

"Alright, see you in five minutes at your place."

Pan hung up the phone and flew as fast as she could to her destination. She was quite motivated to go out on the closest thing to a date that she'd had in a very long time. For a brief moment, she turned to her ascended form to shoot through the air even faster and she made it to Auden's place in record time. He was on the second floor. By the time she climbed the stairs, she heard him coming out of his door. Auden was always a sight for sore eyes. His very appearance brought a smile to her face. He wore nothing out of the ordinary. It was his usual business casual clothes with one of his many quirky ties—this time it was silk depicting the night sky. The royal blue colors of the tie brought out the sharpness of his eyes.

"Do you always have to put your hair up?" Pan asked him before she said anything else, skipping pleasantries altogether. It was something that had bothered her often. Today she'd simply blurted it out. She was feeling a bit spontaneous.

He turned to her after locking his door. "I prefer it that way," he answered as if it was a completely normal question. "I hate when hair gets in my face or in my eyes and how it severely cuts down my peripherals."

"Then why don't you just cut it, if it's such a pain?"

"Why indeed?" he answered with a question of his own.

"Seriously, though," Pan pushed further sensing his evasiveness.

"For the same reason it's taken me far too long to go to this restaurant."

"Oh," Pan said in realization, regretting that she'd pushed him to give her a real answer.

"It's alright," he said unperturbed, "Maybe that will change."

Pan wondered how long that this had been the case. At what point had he decided that he'd rather not have such long hair and for how long had he been trying to get up the nerve to do something about it? Pan could hardly imagine waiting so long for something that she really wanted to do. It showed her just how much his own fears still had quite a hold over him. She became that much more excited about doing this with him. Maybe this was a first step to doing all those other things he'd put on the backburner. Perhaps it would even be relieving, but maybe she was getting ahead of herself. They were just going to a restaurant.

She climbed into his car—a thing that she did not do very often and was very excited to do. While inside the car, she would be quite close to him. She remembered the first time she'd driven with him—he'd clearly been uncomfortable. He'd told her that he was only used to driving Astor to places and that she generally sat in the back. At one time, under urgent circumstances, he'd driven Bra as well, but his mind had been too preoccupied worrying over her condition and making it to the hospital on time to be concerned with just her mere presence. As it turned out, when it came to high-stress situations, Auden became a great deal more practical and less concerned about trivial matters he would otherwise have issue with.

They were breathing the same air. She could smell _him_ and his rich, spicy scent that Pan was sure she was the only one aware of. He wore a light application of one of the more sweeter colognes, but it suited his naturally spicy fragrance. Maybe he knew this as well. She rolled her window down a bit—Auden did not mind that. She wanted the breeze to play with the small tendrils of his hair which would always find its way loose upon his forehead. She imagined his hair to be quite soft and she longed to run her hands through it if only he'd let her. She assumed that she couldn't, so she didn't even begin to ask the other to do it. Wouldn't that be an odd request? He barely did well with briefly being tapped on the shoulder, an entire hand going through his hair would be too daunting. It was a shame. She was making progress, she knew. She hadn't sensed any sort of unease from him as they drove in relative silence to the place. He'd grown used to her presence.

The new soul food restaurant was surprisingly packed that day. Pan couldn't see a line at the door, but the substantial parking lot had almost reached its capacity. She worried that Auden might not fare well. They parked far into the back and they had quite the journey making their way to the entrance.

"So this place has been open for weeks now?" Pan asked.

"Almost a month," Auden elaborated.

"And it still seems to be doing really well. They must be doing something right," Pan said with a laugh.

"Well, if the smell of food wafting out of the place is any indication, then I can certainly imagine repeat patronage."

Pan smelled it too. In fact, she'd smelled it for a while now and she had been actively trying to ignore it knowing that her own hunger would reach unbearable levels of pain otherwise. She'd be liable to eat anything upon sight—and that wasn't exactly the image she wanted Auden to see. He was such a sophisticated individual, always dressing as if he was going to some important meeting, habitually speaking in elevated language, and appearing clean-cut and well-groomed, that Pan was always trying to present herself in a way that was worthy of such a person. She took care to wear something feminine whenever he was around. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was uncouth and tomboyish.

Despite the high level of traffic the restaurant was getting, the host took them immediately to a place to sit down at a booth. It was a large building able to fit hundreds of patrons at one time. The smell of good food intensified upon sitting down and Pan was struggling to maintain her composure. Auden remained outwardly unmoved by this, the very picture of calm and neutrality. It was incredible.

"A lot of people in here today," Pan said to the other as they began parsing through the menu. They sat on either side of the table. "If it gets to be too much, I have no problem with leaving, alright? Just let me know if you feel uncomfortable."

"I think I'll be fine," he said, his eyes preoccupied with the menu.

Pan was surprised with his almost dismissive tones as if this wasn't at all a big deal. It had seemed like it would be. She'd even expected another panic attack. She looked only briefly at the other with a raised eyebrow. He must have noticed her with his peripherals despite not looking up as he soon responded.

"Were it not for you being here, I think I might have had a complete meltdown by now. We are quite surrounded, but focusing on you—everything else becomes background noise."

She found herself blushing at this. "Well, I'm glad to be of help." The burning sensation intensified when his eyes briefly locked with hers as he looked up from the menu.

"Your strength and confidence is always so palpable. It is quite beautiful and difficult to ignore."

"There you go again—flattering me until I turn into a strawberry."

"Maybe I enjoy seeing your flushed cheeks." He'd stopped paying attention to the menu and there was a sort of devious nature to his expression.

"Auden!" Pan said laughing, surprised at his blatant flirting

"While I'm on the subject, I forgot to mention how nice you look in your clothes today. I'm sure you could pull off anything without even trying." He wore an almost-smile. If his lips curved upward a bit more…

"Alright, you can stop now," she said smiling from ear to ear—she couldn't help it.

"For your sake, I think I will. I would hate for you to melt away completely."

"You're in a rare mood today," Pan said back. "I think I like it."

"I'm excited actually, to be here in this restaurant so soon. I imagined I'd work up the nerves much further down the line. I'm glad I decided not to wait so long. I'm glad that you're here to share this experience with. I wouldn't be doing this at all without you here."

Pan smiled. "Well, then, let's order some food shall we? Let's see if it's all worth the hype."

"I know what I'm getting and it definitely involves cornbread and fried chicken."

"You sure you can handle that, Mr. Vegetarian-out-of-convenience?" Pan asked teasingly. "Weren't you on a diet?"

"Pan, we're in a soul food restaurant. All pretenses of 'healthy' eating was thrown out the window once we stepped in. The real question is can _you_ handle it, lover of Asian cuisine particularly Japanese."

Pan laughed at this. "That's true. I suppose I should have known what I was walking into. Rarely have I partaken in anything that doesn't have rice or some sort of noodle."

"I think you'll find rice in most cuisines, even this one if you're feeling a bit intimidated."

"Intimidated? Me? I'll try anything at least once," Pan said confidently.

Auden hadn't looked at the menu for long and had already closed it entirely. Despite never being to this restaurant, he seemed quite comfortable with choosing what to eat. She, on the other hand, was having some trouble understanding the food items themselves and she was still undecided.

"What's the difference between turnip and collard greens?" Pan asked.

"Taste-wise, collards have a bitter note and turnips are spicier. It doesn't matter a whole lot since they'll likely be prepared the same. I have no idea how they're making it though. Some season them to be quite savory or spicy or even sweet."

"Wow, that's a lot variation. How do you know how they'll be made? They don't have a lot of description here."

"So much of soul food was born out of whatever you had on hand that it was more about making unwanted scraps of food palatable rather than having a specific taste or method. Now there's certain conventions that people have decided on. Old, unwritten recipes now interpreted differently from person to person, family to family—it's difficult to pinpoint a specific taste. You'd be better off asking the waiter if you're concerned about that or just trying it for yourself."

"You seem to know a lot about all this. Are you some sort of soul food enthusiast?"

"It's just something I grew up eating. That's how Mom always cooked things. Regrettably, I hadn't been all that interested in cooking back then as a child. I was too much into my studies, but I would always look forward to her cooking. I've been to quite a few of these sorts of restaurants—unfortunately, I've never tasted anything exactly how she would make things. Everyone cooks soul food a little differently, everyone has their own secret ingredient. But usually it's close enough for me to appreciate. It's in the same realm of taste and cooking. And," Auden finished with a more pronounced upward curve of his mouth in what could be a vague smile, "one can never go wrong with cornbread."

"Could I…try a piece of yours before committing to a whole slice?"

"Of course. Taste test to your heart's content, but leave some for me."

"Ha, ha, very funny. I thought you were supposed to be _complimenting_ me."

"I see nothing wrong with a healthy appetite. We eat lunch together all the time and I do notice the sheer amount of food you bring each time."

"Well, it's not the most attractive thing to point out about a girl," she said in light teasing tones.

"Only because society says so. According to that, all women should be rail thin and fair skinned or as close to that as you can get."

"You know, I think you might be onto something." Then an idea came to her mind. "What kind of woman do you prefer?"

Auden sat back a little in his seat. "Such a loaded question, Pan."

"How about you just be honest. I'm not trying to _bait_ you or anything."

"Truthfully, I don't have a specific preference. I've never thought of women in that way. I've never classified them into types. There's simply too much diversity, don't you think? How can you tell if you prefer one over the other if you've never met all types of women? I hadn't even pictured myself with another woman until, well recently—in the past few years. I do think there is beauty in all women as long as she's comfortable in her own skin."

"Ugh, that's such a PC answer. I wanted the inside scoop," Pan complained.

"That's what I believe." He paused and then continued, "but I do find my eyes drawn to women of a more earthier skin tone. There's a certain allure."

"Am I too fair for you then," she said with a grin.

"Indeed. You should look into sun tanning," Auden said humoring her.

"I'll think about it," Pan said with a grin.

"In all seriousness, you look well exactly as you are now," Auden said.

"You're doing it again, aren't you? Trying to make me blush."

"That's entirely too easy to do, but, at the moment, I was simply being honest."

Just then, the waiter came to their table and Pan watched as Auden ordered his food with ease. Pan eventually chose something similar to what the other had ordered just so she could get the ordering over with. She just wanted some food on a plate in front of her as quickly as possible.

"You can put that all on one check," Auden told the waiter when he asked how they'd like the order to be separated.

Pan looked up with surprise, but it had happened so quickly and the waiter had already left their table to deal with another. It was quite a busy night. "Maybe you should have ran that by me first before doing that."

"Oh? Was I being too forward?"

"Is this a date?" she asked.

"Take it as a token of my appreciation for joining me on such short notice. I've been enjoying myself in this new restaurant—it's the least I can do."

Pan looked at him quizzically, but his expression revealed nothing. "Well, alright, but let me know you're going to do something like that beforehand."

"My apologies," he answered smoothly. "It won't happen again."

Pan pursed her lips for a moment, but then let the matter rest. It was a nice gesture after all. His heart seemed in the right place. "So, I've been meaning to talk to you about this," she said taking out the gift he'd given her earlier that week. "What in the world? Did you really make all this for me? This must have taken _forever_."

"Not that long. I simply repurposed the program I already had on my phone and made it more automated. Your phone may have a little less capabilities than mine because of that, but I think it will do for your needs. I've already thought of some ways to update the system. Every program is a work in progress as they say."

"You really shouldn't have," she said incredulously, "I kind of feel guilty making you think you needed to do something like this just because your phone was so unique and couldn't really be duplicated."

"Don't be. It wasn't difficult for me. It was something I enjoyed doing very much. Creating a new program, repurposing code to be of great use to someone else—it was less a chore and more of a fun activity. Making things for myself is far less interesting than doing something for another. How do you like it by the way? Has there been any issues?"

"None at all. Your digital assistant, Ty, is a bit snarky sometimes, but I think I'm getting used to that."

"I based her on the only person I know well enough to do that sort of thing with."

"And who's that?" Pan asked intrigued.

"My mom."

"Oh, I had no idea," she said caught by surprise. "I didn't mean to call her 'snarky'—

"No, it's alright. She is."

"It sounds like you're really close to her."

"I was when she was alive—"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I keep coming up with all the worst topics today…"

"No, it's fine. I don't mind talking about her. It's been a long time since her passing and yet there are times when it feels like just yesterday I was talking to her. By now, I've lived longer than the time I've actually spent with her, but I've never had a deeper connection with anyone else."

"I'm glad it's not a sore topic. Not everyone feels that way after losing someone so close. I'm guessing she was pretty supportive of, well, being who you were—your orientation."

"Not always. She was so big on having a family. Sometimes it felt like she was depending on me to make that happen. I know she would have loved having grandchildren to dote on."

"There's Astor," Pan said.

"Ah, yes," he replied. For a moment, he looked distant before he seemed to acknowledge her presence again. "Sorry," he said probably noting his long pause. "At the very least, she would have loved to meet her. I think she would have accepted her," he finished a little quieter. "Even after I told her about myself, she never fully believed me. She always thought I'd meet someone who'd change things, who'd make me feel things I had told her I'd never felt before. I never had the heart to argue with her on that point. I didn't want to disappoint her any further."

Pan gave him a look of understanding. "That last part sounds exactly like my mom and my dad for that matter, but especially my mom. She can be so old fashioned sometimes. I love her, don't get me wrong, but she's never put any stock into my asexuality. I clearly just haven't met the right guy. I couldn't explain it to her so that she could understand or else she always had an answer for everything I tried to tell her."

"In the end, the person who knows you best is yourself," Auden said. "People can only see your outward presence and what you do or say, but they can never understand what's inside. Words can only take you so far."

Pan sighed at this, "That's an extremely depressing thing to think about—a bit isolating. Are we all just extremely lonely people deluding ourselves into thinking we have a real connection with someone else?"

"Now that sounds depressing. Sure, we all have our own experiences unique to ourselves, but we are not as different from the next person as we think sometimes. My mother may not have ever understood me on that one point, but she understood me in other ways. And you and I experienced similar things on account of our orientation. I never had to convince you of anything, you simply understood and I'm certain you relate to me on many levels. Perhaps not all, but many. Does that not bring some ounce of comfort?"

"You're being more positive than me, what has the world come to," Pan said with a grin. "I guess I kind of have some things I still want to work out with my mom and it sucks because other than that we get along really well."

"It's difficult not to focus on the one issue you have with someone even if that person is special to you. At the time, I thought it was so frustrating that my mom didn't support me as much as I wanted on that one thing. In hindsight, I think of her far more positively."

"I'm sure she knew that you loved her."

"I'm certain that she did. Or…I just like to believe that. I wasn't exactly there with her when she passed and I'd neglected to visit her while I was in college. I could barely pay for my own living let alone traveling back and forth. But I've had an incredibly long time to think about things like that. The way my mom was, there would have been no reason for her to believe that I suddenly stopped caring about her. I'd told her a few times, despite her protests, that I was going to college so that she wouldn't have to work so hard anymore. She made no attempt to tell me what condition she was in when her health took a turn for the worst. I never knew she was in the hospital until it was too late. I think she did that purposefully."

"She passed while you were in college? I don't know if I would have even been able to continue school if that happened to me. How did you manage?"

"Poorly. I never finished college. But I do find myself employed and well-paid so things did turn out far better than I expected."

"Hold on, you _never_ finished college and you're _this_ smart? You realize you single-handedly created a digital assistant that works miles better than any of the other ones currently on the market? I don't think those A.I.s can change traffic lights or instantly optimize other devices. I knew it, this confirms it—you're a genius."

"Are we back on that again? I do what I can to the best of my ability."

"I'd seriously consider starting your own business. You're working for Capsule Corp and all you do there is tech support. Your talents are being wasted."

He sighed wearily at this just when the waiter came back with their drinks. They'd both ordered water. Auden had also ordered a raspberry lemonade and Pan had gotten Coke. They'd been talking for a while and all they had to show for it were drinks. It would be a long wait. There were probably countless people ahead of them. Pan quickly took a long sip of her water and watched as Auden took the time to place his straw into the cup filled with water.

"Points out of their favor—We're going to be sitting here _forever_ waiting for that food and I'm already getting dizzy from all this hot food smell."

"I'm not surprised. Most restaurants like these have a longer prep time and it's pretty packed in here. This kind of food can't exactly be rushed like a quick burger from the fast-food."

"Oh, gourmet quality then."

"Something like that. I remember Mom taking quite some time to make the food on the few times out the month she had off from work. The place would be smelling like dinner for a good portion of the day."

"We're going to be waiting _that_ long?" Pan asked surprised.

"No—I doubt this place would still be in business, if that was the case. I'm sure the cooks come in quite early to get things started before the restaurant even opens."

Pan took another long swig of her water considering his words and then looking about at the surrounding tables with food already on them. Her eyes were longing. But her mind eventually returned to her last train of thought before she was interrupted with drinks.

"I'm serious about that business thing or better yet, if you don't want to do that, you could be like Bulma, a consultant of some kind who gets paid way too much money or maybe just sell your own patented programs to them—I'm sure they're always looking for new things like that."

"I do like what I do. It's simple and it's still mildly challenging."

Pan gave him a look. He wasn't a very ambitious person, but she supposed this wasn't such a bad thing. She just hated the fact that his intelligence was being wasted.

"I did want to start a business once upon a time when I was younger and more reckless. I wanted to try everything. I wasn't afraid of anything. But then…things just changed. It became easier to simply keep to myself than to draw attention."

"I see," she said slowly. "And what would your business be doing if you'd decided to actually do it?"

"Well," he said dragging out the word, "It would probably be a lot like Capsule Corp, but better. Any industry that they have their hands in, PCs, video games, cellphones, spaceships—I'd be able to create something not only faster and more affordable but emphasize the ease of use and compatibility. CC is guilty for gouging their customers with obscene prices because they're pretty much a monopoly. They use cheap mechanical engineering tricks that force customers to buy new cords and auxiliary equipment that fulfill the same purpose as the last version with each new iteration of their devices. It's ridiculous. You can improve the operating system of a device without changing the overall structure. I didn't actually want to work for CC, but I knew Bulma and I was too desperate to decline her offer to help me. Because I owe her so much, I've not seen fit to find some other employment. I'm by no means irreplaceable, but I'm in some small part repaying my debt."

"Geez, that sounds incredible. Everything you just said. And yeah, now that I think about it, CC really is a monopoly—they're pretty much the gold standard of technology innovation."

"That they are. It's a deserving title. Bulma was always a brilliant inventor. While I had to study for hours on end each day just to understand computers and how they worked, Bulma simply understood things in her own unique way. I hardly ever saw her with a book in hand—she was too busy enjoying life. She had time for that. If anyone is a genius, it would certainly be her. The very picture."

"Bulma is pretty smart. I think she won the Nobel Prize at least twice."

"Three times," he corrected her.

"But that doesn't take away from what you have," Pan reminded him. "Maybe you weren't a prodigy, but you worked hard and that's something to be proud of. That kind of dedication is hard to come by. Bulma probably couldn't even raise a candle to that. You worked harder than most to get to where you are. Against all odds, here you are. I would root for someone like that. It's inspiring. That business that you just described is the most ballsy thing I've heard in a long time. If anyone could do it, it would be you."

Just then, the food finally came and Pan almost died and went to heaven. She was thanking the poor waiter profusely. Pan had several plates of meat, starches and vegetables. Auden had a modest plate of greens, cornbread, mac and cheese, and fried chicken. She attempted to keep her composure, she attempted to even still hold a conversation with Auden, but she eventually found herself devouring the food at an alarming rate. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Auden grinning at her antics, but even this discovery didn't deter her.

"This food is perfection," Auden said as she started on her last plate, "I can certainly understand your voracious consumption," he finished with a hint of mirth.

It wasn't until she was finished with her food that she even regarded the other at length. He'd already cut into the cornbread and that was likely the thing he was chewing on at the moment. Pan noted that this must have been his favorite item on the plate and she could plainly see that he was enjoying it. That slight curve of his mouth was evident enough.

"I could probably eat three more plates of that," Pan said as she tried to regain her composure by sipping daintily on her Coke.

"Order as much as you want. I'm in no hurry. Maybe I'll get myself a second if I can manage this one."

"Nah, that's alright," Pan said suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious about her very empty plates and Auden making his way slowly through his one plate.

"Come, Pan, you don't have to put on a show of restraint. I'm the last person who would ever think to judge you."

Pan sighed a this. "Hey, didn't you say I could try some of that cornbread?"

"I did," he said, stopping himself before he placed the last of it onto his fork. He slid his plate within her reach. Instead of using her own fork, however, she deliberately used his. She wasn't sure if he would take issue with this, but she went for it anyway. She took her time sliding her lips over the fork and then gently she placed it back on the plate, chewing at a pace much slower than usual—she was taste testing, of course.

Auden was watching her patiently, but she didn't feel anything remotely like disgust from him. He seemed more curious than anything else. "So what do you think?" he asked startling her a little out of her wandering thoughts. Had he noticed anything at all?

"It's soft and buttery and sweet—not bad," Pan said back, "I wouldn't say it's my favorite though."

"That's alright, but at least it was somewhat to your liking."

Pan watched the other slide the plate back to its previous position and with that same fork which had been placed so tenderly in her mouth, he began on the mac and cheese without qualm. Now that the indirect kiss was complete, she couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. It was a little embarrassing frankly—at least the sensible part of her mind thought so. Yet this did not stop her from blushing, apparently a thing that she couldn't stop herself from doing. She found him looking at her questioningly. Could he possibly read her mind at this moment?

"You're blushing again, but for reasons unknown this time," he commented.

"Oh, it's nothing," Pan said in a tone higher pitched than usual.

He looked at her quizzically. "Well, alright," he said slowly. "Feel free to order more if you want."

She couldn't bring herself to say it just in case he might think it was ridiculous or that he might panic if he realized what happened. "I think I will order something else," Pan said finally.

When the waiter came back over to check in on them, Pan proceeded to trying other things on the menu. She was feeling adventurous and her other three entrees had turned out quite well. Perhaps southern cuisine was something she could get into, but Japanese would always be her go to. Because of how long it seemed to take to make such food, it made it less appealing to make at home. Perhaps on a special occasion and she'd prepped for it beforehand, she might attempt cooking it. As she waited for the order and continued to chat with Auden, she stopped in midsentence explaining the difference between Udon and Soba noodle when she heard Malachi's voice, Malachi's singing voice to be more specific.

She recognized it immediately as soon as he uttered the first note. It was a recording, of course, but of a very high quality. Music had been playing the whole time overhead. She hadn't paid it any mind until that moment. She forgot everything she had been about to say as she was serenaded by his sweet tones. She'd abstained from listening to his music for a long while as the constant reminder became a bit too much to handle. After so long, however, she felt deprived of his music and its sudden presence resonated deeply with her. His light and airy tones were charged effortlessly with genuine passion and love—it was so evident in his voice far more evident than most singers. It caused her pause. All she could do was listen. She doubted anyone else felt quite so in awe as she did then, but she didn't care. She wanted his voice to surround her, to swallow her whole. Her eyes were closed as the song continued and his emotions intensified as it usually did in the second verse and the third repetition of the hook or chorus.

"Perfect," Pan breathed as the song inevitably ended.

"One of my favorites, perhaps because it's one of his few songs that wasn't overplayed on the radio," Auden said.

"Oh," she said opening her eyes now. "You listen to Malachi's music?"

"Astor adores him. Every time there was a new album, I certainly knew about it. His voice is quite distinct—it's difficult to mistake him for anyone else. Now, if you've been paying attention to the radio these days, his presence is felt in all the new songs that came out in the past year across all genres perhaps as a homage—it's become more obvious though it's been happening for years. Every time you walk into the music section of a store, he's in the front and every single album he's ever come out with is available. I've seen at least two different _Best of_ collections along with re-releases of his albums with previously unreleased tracks, demos, and even not quite finished tracks. They're selling out in surprising numbers."

"I've stopped listening to the radio because of that. I needed to get away from his music for a while, but it seems it's alright now. After his death was made public…" She closed her eyes and looked away.

"He was given a far more befitting funeral that was televised worldwide, at the very least."

"Far more befitting? It was a nightmare. Media went crazy. They were out of their minds and they were far more demanding than they'd ever been before."

"Could you blame them?" Auden said calmly. "Malachi was idolized and cherished across the globe. I know it's easy to forget being in such close contact with him."

"Quint is a real piece of work. That bastard blatantly monopolized on his death. It was supposed to be kept a secret just in case we could figure out how to bring him back. Then he just went behind our backs and let the cat out of the bag. Now if he ever came back, he wouldn't be able to resume his life as he left it."

"Do you really believe that's possible?"

Pan looked at him then. "Have you heard of the dragon balls?"

"Bulma explained it to me. Sounds too good to be true, but they don't exist anymore."

"No. In the past, we used them all the time to bring people back. Vegeta and Bulma said they were working out a way to change things."

"I see."

"You don't believe any of this, do you?"

"I believe that you do just as the rest of your friends. As far as I know, Bulma hasn't completely lost her mind. But I don't believe such tales. If it sounds too good to be true, it often is. Once someone dies, that's it. They are simply gone and you're only left with their memories to suffice until one day you also take leave from the world."

Pan looked down at the table at this, knowing that the other wasn't completely wrong. That was how life worked; they'd simply been cheating the system for far too long. She wondered what made them special. What made them more deserving of resurrection than the rest of the world. They'd used the dragon balls to revive entire populations a few times, but it didn't excuse how they'd gather the dragon balls to selfishly revive a singular person on several occasions. If she could, she'd do it again just for Malachi. In this instance, she was sure the rest of the world would want that as well.

"I haven't given up hope," Pan said.

He was still working on his food. She had finished her next round of entrees. "That's admirable, but I worry that you're setting yourself up for failure, believing in something that can never be."

"You're just from the outside—you wouldn't understand."

"I understand that these mystical objects no longer exist on this planet. Even if they did as they said, that avenue is now lost. What else is there to do?"

"New Namek," Pan said determinedly, "A planet inhabited by an alien race called the Namekians."

Auden looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "And the dragon balls reside there?"

"Yes, they should. The only problem is, we don't know how to get there. We have no idea where it's located. Dende doesn't either or at least he says he doesn't."

"Dende?"

"A namekian. He lives here on Earth."

"Does he? Perhaps somewhere out of sight from the layman."

"Well, he's definitely out of reach from most people. Maybe I'll take you to see him one day."

"It's not an urgent need of mine," Auden replied.

"Anyways, Bulma and Vegeta are working on it."

"They're searching for a needle in a haystack and they don't know what that needle looks like. I think it's easy to underestimate how vast space truly is. I can believe that there are other planets out there that can sustain lifeforms different from us, but I doubt that planet is anywhere close to us. We would have known by now. Give human astrophysicists some credit."

His words held an air of truth to them. It was difficult to completely dismiss, but she didn't want to believe that. "Bulma is a genius. She'll figure something out."

"I think it's important we focus on the here and now. What I said about the funeral, I think it was necessary. As far as I know, Malachi cared about his fans and he would not have wanted to exclude them from something like this. I don't know if you watched it on television, but it was a tasteful farewell. He was honored and celebrated. Even if in the end this Quint benefits from the increased interest and sales of his music, I think it is quite special to be remembered so fondly by so many people. I doubt his presence in the world will ever truly be forgotten as his contributions to the music industry has had far reaching effects. Now everyone can properly mourn his death because it was made public knowledge—somehow, I don't think Malachi would have been upset about that."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Pan said. "I wonder how Bra is doing?"

"Perhaps you should call her. I've had no further contact with her. Bulma came in personally to tell me that she wouldn't be coming back to work so she has long since terminated employment with CC."

"It's been difficult getting in contact with her. She won't answer my calls and I took that as a signal that she didn't want to be bothered. I've left her alone. She has her family after all. I'm sure they're looking after her."

"Yes—family is a good thing to have after losing someone so close to share in your grief."

By now, Auden had finally finished his food and he was not up for anything else. They waited for another few minutes for the waiter to come back so that the order could be paid for. Pan watched as he left a substantial tip for the waiter and left his silver credit card for the waiter to take up.

"I don't get it," Pan said suddenly as something just came to her mind, "You live in a really small apartment yet you said you were well-paid? Just haven't gotten around to getting a house?" After she said this, she wondered if she was being a bit too nosy, but Auden didn't seem to mind as he answered without hesitation.

"It takes quite a bit of work for someone to maintain a household—work that I have no patience for. I would also have no experience whatsoever in mowing lawns or cleaning gutters. It would just be me living there, really. Astor comes and goes—I doubt I'd have the heart to put her to work in that way. A house just isn't practical or necessary."

"Hm, I never thought of that. I've just always lived in a house. Even though I live in an apartment now, I always knew that eventually I'd find myself a nice house to settle down in one day."

She was talking about living arrangements with Auden. Her treacherous mind was already entertaining the idea of living with Auden in a nice little house together. That was a bit much for someone she wasn't quite sure she was dating even now. They were just friends right now—close friends, she supposed. He didn't think of her like that. She was sure he didn't fantasize about such silly things. His brilliant mind didn't have time for those kinds of things. He was probably thinking about things that she couldn't even hope to fathom.

They left the restaurant feeling quite satisfied with their meal. Pan climbed into the car with Auden even though, at this point, she probably could have just taken off back to her own place. He didn't mention this as they drove the short distance back to his apartment in comfortable silence. They'd talked with surprising ease for a long span of time that evening and Pan felt that as far as conversation went, he had been quite engaging. Maybe he was getting better at that sort of thing or maybe this was just a fluke. He _had_ been in a good mood—that was undeniable.

Pan stepped out of the car and walked with him to his apartment. They said their goodbyes and finally parted ways. It was almost eleven at night and they both still had early starts. They'd been out longer than usual on account of the long wait times and the lateness of when they decided to have dinner. All in all, this had been one of her better days to date after "the incident". Perhaps it was still possible for her to find some sort of happiness even without Malachi being around.


	3. Snip Snip

It took Pan awhile to realize that her phone—the one that Auden had given to her—was self-charging. She never knew just how much charge the phone had just that it was always working. Questioning Auden later revealed that the phone itself constantly recycled the energy that was already there and replaced it slowly anytime the sunlight touched the screen. Pan wasn't even sure how this was possible, but she couldn't argue with what was in front of her. She began to appreciate the device more and more. She even pondered getting rid of her own phone, but the questionable nature of the device still concerned her. How would she even explain it to other people if she whipped it out in public? Even if she was thoroughly impressed with the "phone" Auden had given her, she felt a little dubious about having both phone and internet service for free. Maybe she was doing something illegal. It still felt like something she should keep under wraps and she did for the most part. However, in the past week, she'd used her phone at work to fix a malfunctioning X-ray machine—it had been the only one they had and it would have been beyond expensive to repair. No one suspected a thing aside from people commenting on how responsive the machine was these days.

On a Friday night, when she was catching up with a few television shows, she received a phone call from Auden. She answered her phone in record time. It had only been a week since the "date" at the restaurant. She was hoping they might do something like that again, but she could never decide when it was the right time.

"Hey there," she said with a smile in her voice.

"Hello," he answered in his usual tone that suggested either boredom or disinterest. "Sounds like I caught you at a good time."

"You always seem to have good timing. Of course, Friday night is a surefire."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"So what did you want?"

"I suppose this is a strange request, but I'd rather ask than forever wondering what would have happened."

"Just ask," Pan said with a sigh when the other paused for longer than usual.

"Could you cut my hair?" he asked plainly.

Pan was too flabbergasted to answer back immediately, but she did eventually. "You're not serious, are you? I've never really done that before. I mean, I guess I've given my own hair a trim before, but nothing as drastic as what you're probably asking for. What are you asking for anyway? Something really short?"

"It's not something I've thought about extensively, but something that isn't a buzz-cut."

"That really narrows it down," Pan said sardonically.

"I don't really have a preference aside from that."

"So you're saying you're prepared to have me cut your hair any way I see fit as long as it isn't a buzzcut?"

"Exactly."

"Yep, that is a strange request, but I'll take you up on it."

"Really?" he asked with a hint of surprise—Pan was glad to hear it there in his voice.

"Of course! I'll just watch a few tutorials and go from there. Sounds like fun. I have to make a disclaimer though—I'm not a professional, so this whole thing is all at your own risk. As long as you're okay with that…"

"I'm fine with that arrangement."

"Though I'm not sure why. I mean, you do know I'll have to be…touching your hair a lot which is attached to a scalp. My hands will be in _very_ close proximity. And, well…"

"I don't mind."

"You don't?" Pan questioned him again.

"I've grown used to you. I should be able to handle it."

"But…are you sure?" she asked once again, making doubly sure he knew what he was getting into. This could potentially be a trying endeavor, even more so if he couldn't mentally handle her closeness.

"I trust you," Auden finally said.

That one phrase took Pan by surprise and she was quiet for longer than usual.

"Pan?" he asked, when there was no response from her in a long while.

"Still here—just trying to digest. For the record, I trust you too."

"I've suspected. You've been quite open about yourself though I haven't returned the favor."

"Well, that's only because I'm an open book in general," Pan said with a laugh, "And that wasn't to force you to be that way—that's just how I am. I've always been that."

"Perhaps that is a better way to go through life. Mom was always a secretive person and she was forever worried about 'our business getting out on the street'. I always wondered who would care if that was the case, but that's how she wanted things, that's how I've always been. Other people knowing too much about you was considered a 'bad' thing. Maybe it was a way to keep the upper hand. Likely from would-be criminals who would use such information for their own less than savory needs."

"Well, that's definitely practical. I guess I never had to worry about that sort of thing."

"Something tells me that the worries you had were far different from mine. People breaking into your home was probably not one of them."

"I can't imagine how that must have been like for you."

"It's better that way. Trust me."

"Well, now that we've completely derailed the main point, I'll get on those videos. First, I have to ask, do you have a blow-dryer?"

"I do," he replied evenly.

"Hair shears?"

"An entire collection of a professional quality."

"Oh, really? That's even better."

"I've always tried to maintain my own hair though with varying results. I've never been good at it."

"Well, don't worry, I'm a natural—I think."

"No worse than me, I'm sure."

"Okay, so shears, blow-dryer—I'm sure you have some hair bands, a fine-tooth comb, right?"

"I do," he confirmed.

"Oh, and a spray water bottle?"

"Not that, but I could empty a spray bottle and put water in it."

"That's perfect, I think that's all I need off the top of my head."

"Well, then, take your time prepping yourself. We don't need to do this immediately, it's already getting a bit late today."

"Will you be up for long?"

"I probably will. Offices are closed on the weekend."

"Then in that case, I'll be there in an hour as an expert hair cutter."

"I await your arrival."

"See you soon."

They hung up and Pan was immediately giddy. She always became that way when it came to Auden, doubly so if she'd be meeting with him face-to-face. For some reason, it felt like a rare occurrence despite always seeing him at lunch. Most of their communication was through text messages or calls. Hearing his voice directly was far different from a cellphone. Determinedly, she searched the internet for videos and advice that could help her. She already had a vague idea of how it was done. She'd watched Bra have her hair cut rather short once upon a time and she had trimmed her own hair for as long as she could remember—her mother had showed her how. A big chop like Auden was suggesting was still a little out of her wheelhouse, but she could manage. If it had to do with him, then she could most certainly find a way. She looked first for a hairstyle she'd like to see on him. He'd given her carte blanche as far as that was concerned. She too didn't want to see him in a buzzcut so they were at least of a same mind as to what the end result would be. She eventually found a scissor cut style that didn't seem too difficult to do and went from there. She saved two different videos on her phone after watching them to completion a few times. She'd need to refer back to them. Then she read through some hair cutting tips and tricks articles until she felt she was ready. This took more than an hour to do—time seemed to be slipping by quickly.

Pan called Auden one more time to make sure he was still awake and to ask if he had a few more other necessary items in his possession. Confirming this, she took off for his place. It was a cool night and it was refreshing feeling the air against her skin. Her giddiness had subsided by the time she was knocking on his door which was probably for the best considering what she was about to do. Her hands needed to be steady. It was a bit like surgery only without the blood and gore. She needed to be as precise as possible. Watching the videos, it didn't seem like an impossible task. All she had to do was take it one step at a time.

He welcomed her in and informed her that he'd already washed his hair. Good. A step that she could skip altogether. His hair was still a bit damp but knowing the slow pace she would be going, she would need that spray bottle to keep it wet enough for her purposes. Auden had everything set out on the dining room table.

"So where did you want to do this?" Pan asked.

"The dining room—it has more chairs. The bathroom is a bit cramped. If that's alright with you," he said.

"That's fine. I pictured me standing up and you sitting down. Now, Auden, are you ready for this? It could take a while."

"What would it look like if you came all this way, having spent your personal time looking up tutorials all for me to back out of the whole thing? I'm practically obligated at this point. Don't worry. I'll be fine," Auden told her reassuringly.

"Alright," Pan said drawing out the word a bit, "But if you ever feel at all uncomfortable just let me know. I mean, if I don't finish it tonight, there's always tomorrow."

"I'm sure it won't come to that," he said calmly.

"You seem awfully confident for someone who's going to have their hair cut by a complete amateur."

"Let's just start before you manage to talk me out of this."

"Aw, there it is, a little healthy dose of concern," Pan said with a grin, "Now I feel better."

Auden sat down at the nearest chair. "Better to focus on the positive."

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were an optimist."

"I try to be, but it's all too easy to think the opposite."

Pan was standing behind him as she examined the items on the table. "Very," she agreed. "Level with me, what exactly is your plan if I mess this up?"

"You won't, but if you do, I'll just have to go with a buzzcut and wait for it to grow back out."

Pan shook her head. "I would hate that. I can hardly picture it. Everyone at work would probably be horrified."

"I doubt it'd be so dramatic. People might initially be surprised, but soon they'd get over it. They have their own worries and concerns to deal with. What I look like will be a passing interest at best."

Something told her that if he had any admirers at work he was totally oblivious to them. Who wouldn't at least find him pleasing to the eyes from a distance? Maybe that was just her bias talking. She took a hair tie in hand intending to tie his hair up in sections so that she could cut it shorter and shorter by section. She was trying to be as careful as possible.

"Alright, I'm about to place my hands on your hair," Pan warned the other.

"As can be expected," Auden replied with a subtle hint of sarcasm and annoyance.

She was a bit surprised to hear it there in his tone. She wondered if she was worrying a little too much over him. Seeing one panic attack was enough—she did not fancy witnessing another.

"But I appreciate the concern," he said a moment later, probably realizing his shortness.

"It's practically my middle name," she replied with a smile.

Without further ado, she began. She let her fingers run slowly through his hair, a thing that she had wanted to do for a long time. It was blessedly soft just like she imagined it to be, perhaps even better than her imagination. There was so much volume. It was thicker than she suspected, much more than the people getting their hair done on the videos had been. It would simply mean that she had significantly more strands of hair to work with. Even wet, she could tell that his hair could easily get tangled. It took her a moment to realize that the other had become quite tense—his shoulders were squared up as if bracing against something.

"Are you alright?" Pan asked pausing now in her perusal. She'd been idling in his hair longer than what was necessary, but she'd gotten lost in the texture. This was, in fact, the first time she had touched any part of him at all for so long. It was exciting.

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Please, continue."

He didn't seem fine. She realized that this was probably difficult for him and no amount of 'are you okay' was going to change that. He'd resigned himself to this. It shed new light on the reason he'd asked her to do this in the first place. With a total stranger, he wouldn't stand a chance. He was barely holding it together as it was. Maybe barely was too harsh a word, but the tenseness never went away, at least initially. Carefully, she cut the long shafts of his hair and then placed it on the table for him to see.

"All that thick lovely hair," Pan commented.

"Good riddance," Auden replied. "I've wasted too much of my life washing and drying it. It takes hours to dry on its own."

"You know most people would kill for that kind of volume."

"Sure, until they're tasked with maintaining it."

Pan chuckled at this. "I wouldn't mind."

With the initial chop done, now came the harder part of shaping up his hair. Very slowly she went around his hair with the shears trying to get the ends at the same length with a technique of cutting that didn't make it look so blunt. It took longer than what the tutorial suggested because she was nervous and continually combing down his hair slowly with a fine-tooth comb evaluating the length and the look of each cut. She rewetted his hair several times. When she checked on Auden, she noticed that he had relaxed a little, but he was still quite rigid. He hadn't said much and she was concentrating too intently to keep up a meaningful conversation. It was a comfortable silence between them.

After she was done varying the length of hair in the back, she looked at it once again to make sure she'd tapered the hair just the way she wanted. "Perfect," she said to herself. Now she started combing out the front of his hair. She would have to stand in front of him for this. The front part was surprisingly long reaching down past his nose. She noticed his eyes closed, but it didn't seem like it was because of the hair in the way.

"Tired?" Pan asked as she began slowly snipping off the ends.

"Just resting my eyes," he replied wearily.

"Same difference," Pan said with a short laugh. "Speaking of resting," she began as a question popped into her head out of curiosity. "How's that been for you lately? Sometimes you text me pretty late at night. Not that I don't appreciate the thought, but sometimes I leave you hanging 'cus I can't keep my eyes open."

"Some good days, some bad days," he said back.

"Is it work related? It must be pretty hard working at CC. Not just anyone gets hired there."

"Sometimes I do worry about things at work—not the work itself just the people. I wonder if I've come off as offensive to someone or didn't explain myself clearly. I wonder if people hate it when I come in and try to engage in small talk or like it more when I just mind my own business. Then some days I don't care at all and I can fall asleep just like that."

"It's good to do self-reflection, but it can easily get out of hand. That's just me speaking from experience. I focus on things that I shouldn't. That's not the thing that always gets me though. Every once in a while, I have these weird, often scary dreams that wake me up too early and then I can't sleep for the rest of the night. Does that ever happen to you?"

"More times than I'd like to admit. I wouldn't describe them as weird, however. I know what it is I'm dreaming about. It's the same thing over and over again, only changing in subtle ways, yet it always has the same effect on me."

Pan noticed that he did not elaborate on this and she did not push him to do so. After all, she hadn't, but it was probably obvious what her dreams would be about. She didn't want to say _his_ name aloud; not right now. However, she was completely in the dark as to what could be bothering Auden. It could be something incredibly mundane made to be unsettling in his own mind or it could be something truly horrible. Pan continued trimming his hair, one small section at a time.

"The sound of hair being snipped is rather nice—not as harsh as cutting paper," Auden noted.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I'm having fun doing this. It's kind of relaxing."

She didn't mention the fact that the other didn't look totally relaxed, but she realized that he was doing incredibly well considering that this whole thing could have devolved rather quickly from the very beginning. She tried to work faster, but she could only do it to a certain degree as she was a complete novice and she wanted to make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong. It took her another hour to cut enough length in a way that looked natural and not blunt and amateur. She began the process of shaping it up which involved a lot of combing back out again. She warned the other each time she had to spray his hair down with water again. He flinched every time she did so regardless—it likely wasn't his favorite thing for her to do, but he was a good sport. He never complained even if she wished he did. Pan had a feeling that there were a lot of things which he kept to himself so as not to upset others. It sometimes made it hard to be completely accommodating to him. Even if it was something he considered petty, she wanted to know.

It took her some time, but she was on the homestretch. She had a few snips left and she wanted to make doubly sure she was finished before she actually announced it. Something told her that she'd be pushing it if she announced this, but then realized she missed a part and then had to re-engage his hair. Pan realized that this whole thing was likely quite the ordeal for him. She didn't want to make it worse.

As she peered critically at her work in the front, silently considering if anything more needed to be done, she found her own face quite close to his. She tried to ignore this, but she'd never been that close to him before especially not to his face. His eyes were still closed thankfully. Her eyes betrayed her as they travelled to his lips, ones which were probably neglected and had not touched another in a very long time yet they looked soft and inviting. He'd never agree to kissing her and she would never betray his trust or rigid boundaries, but that didn't stop her from fantasizing. In fact, she found that her own lips had already moved dangerously close to his and that she'd stopped breathing altogether. His eyes were still closed. She felt her heart racing despite knowing that she wouldn't go through with it. They were so close, however. Closer than she'd ever been to him. It was enthralling. It took all her will to pull back again and clear her throat.

"Alright, Auden, I'm done."

He didn't respond back at all. It took her a moment to realize that he'd dozed off. She wondered if he would even notice if her lips briefly touched his, but she shook her head at the notion. That would be wrong. That would be taking advantage.

"Auden?" Pan asked shaking him lightly on the shoulder.

It hadn't taken much to rouse him. "Oh, sorry," he said quickly as he sat up a bit straighter.

"No need to apologize. It's been a long night and probably a long day for you. I finished," she said with a smile. "Want to go see what it looks like?"

He, of course, did not return her smile, but she was used to this. "More than anything else," he replied. "Thank you for doing all this."

"Don't thank me yet," she said continuing to grin.

Pan wanted to be there to see his reaction though she was sure he wouldn't be putting on much of a show. She was satisfied with even the subtlest of facial cues that he often gave. She followed him to the small bathroom that was at least big enough to fit two people. She couldn't tell initially if it was his cup of tea, but he did run his hand through his hair a few times.

"This is nice," he finally said, "But it would take some getting used to."

As Pan looked at it in the mirror, she found herself falling in love with the new look. He didn't look like himself. He was someone else, someone who was ready to try new things. His eyes sparkled and his blond hair shimmered in the presence of all the strong lighting in the bathroom. His hair framed his face perfectly and softened his somewhat angular features. _She_ wanted to run her hair through his hair, but she resisted the urge. She was quickly getting used to this new Auden.

"Seems thanking you wasn't too premature," he said turning to her. "I'm grateful, it's just like a professional."

"Oh," she said with a playful grin, waving him away, "A real professional would not have taken hours doing this."

"Even so." Pan watched the other reach for his back pocket. She hoped he wasn't taking out what she thought he was taking out. Her hopes were dashed when he took out twenty-dollar bills. Her eyebrows furrowed at this. "Not that it matters. You didn't have to do any of this. I was going to pay you either way."

"You don't need to pay me," Pan said with a lump forming in her throat. Were they friends or not? She hadn't asked for payment at all. That wasn't the reason she'd gone through all that trouble. Did he not see that? Or were they far less familiar with each other than she thought?

"I insist. It's the least I can do. You took so much time out of your day to help me on such short notice. I'm sure there were other things you probably would have much rather spent your free time on the weekend doing, but you still humored me. Not to mention, you really did a good job."

Pan frowned at this. "That's where you're wrong, Auden. There was _nothing_ else I'd rather be doing. Any excuse to hang out with you for hours and hours is a time well spent. This wasn't some compromise for me. I _wanted_ to do this out of the kindness of my heart and yet you cheapen all of it with money as if I need that for some sort of validation, as if you feel it's necessary in order for me to feel like this had any meaning or fulfillment at all."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel that way," he said putting the money away, but that wasn't enough to improve her mood. "I know we're friends and all that, but I don't want to wound up having you feel like you're being used. If I'm not giving you anything back in return, then that's exactly what I'm doing. Monetary compensation isn't a _bad_ thing—it just shows my appreciation. I do appreciate that you did all this because you really wanted to. I knew that had to be the case or else you wouldn't have agreed in the first place. It's not something that you asked for, but this money was out of the kindness of my heart as well and I give it freely without resentment or hesitation."

Her lips were pursed now as she walked out of the bathroom with crossed arms. "Please keep your money." She heard a few footsteps towards her, but she forced herself not to look back. She wanted to make her utter annoyance abundantly clear.

"Sorry if I offended you."

"It's not if, Auden, you did."

She heard the other sigh wearily at this. "Well, then I'll know better what to do in a similar situation with you."

His tones sounded dismissive. Even if he apologized, she wondered if he was really understanding her point of view.

"I don't mean to rush you out, but it's getting really late. I can't remember the last time I actually stayed up so long after midnight."

"Oh," Pan said glancing at her cellphone. It was nearly 3:30 AM in the morning. "Guess it is a bit late." She noticed that the other didn't even begin to offer that she stay the night. He didn't offer the couch and he certainly wouldn't suggest they share a bed. None of this was surprising, but why was this suddenly rubbing her the wrong way?

He'd made his way past her and was putting away the things he'd taken out for her to style his hair. She bet having her stay hadn't even crossed his mind. He was too busy trying to clean up, making it so she hadn't been there at all in the first place. God forbid she left a lingering presence. Her eyes narrowed at this.

"What if I stayed the night?" Pan asked. Her arms were still crossed.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Auden said without even bothering to turn to her.

"Why wouldn't it be? Are you tired of being around me? Have I worn out my welcome?"

"No," Auden replied as he continued his cleaning endeavors, but he eventually turned to her completely. There was a good distance between them and he did not even begin to bridge that gap. Pan simply stood her ground. She couldn't fully understand her annoyance knowing that Auden was just being Auden yet it was still there nonetheless. "Because I'm barely holding it together as it is." He leaned back a little on the chair behind him and there was a weariness in his features that she'd not seen before. She was already starting to regret her confrontational tones. "I know that sounds pathetic. Being so physically close to you for so long, for hours and hours, feeling your hands, even sometimes your breathing was unnerving. Even when I reminded myself over and over again that it was just you, it only slightly made a difference. I had to keep imagining that I was elsewhere, anywhere but trapped in a seat with someone relentlessly touching my hair. Then, at the same time, I liked that you were here with me and that I wasn't alone tonight as I spend most nights. I liked being able to talk to you instead of in a text where I have to imagine your voice. I didn't want that to end. I never want that to end. It's fine if you don't want to put up with me anymore. Most people don't and I don't blame them. I can hardly put up with myself half the time."

"I was being unfair," Pan began shaking her head. Hearing him say those things and confirming that he did not at all like her physical closeness made it more real. She'd been enjoying herself, but he'd been suffering the whole time. "I…didn't mean to make you feel that way."

"Listen," he said pulling away from the chair, "Stay if you feel you must. There's blankets and comforters in the hallway closet. I'm practically falling asleep on my feet at this point and I do have some things to take care of tomorrow so I apologize if this feels abrupt." He'd already began making his way towards the hallway—he'd made it there in just a couple of steps.

"Wait, I—you don't have to do that. I didn't want to make you feel like you need to do something you're not comfortable with."

"It's too late for that kind of talk, isn't it, Pan?" He'd paused in the hallway, "The last thing I want is for you to think I don't care. Make yourself at home," he said with a dismissive hand.

Pan was momentarily mute as she watched him disappear further down the hall. He was freely inviting her to stay—the very thing she didn't think he'd ever do, but somehow it didn't feel right. In all truthfulness, he _wouldn't_ be completely at ease and Pan had told herself many times over that she didn't want to rush things with Auden. She really couldn't if she was being honest with herself. She wasn't used to the slow pace of their relationship or whatever one might call what they had, but wasn't this what she'd wanted? How many times had she fantasized about someone who was like her and who didn't feel the need to check off all the usual boxes to make it feel "normal"? She didn't think it was possible. Every person wanted similar things from a relationship: closeness, companionship, and trust. No one had the patience to ease into it and everyone needed those things quickly because those who were single seeking another were usually quite lonely people from the outset.

"Wait," Pan said again. She didn't think she'd been heard as she followed him back. His room was at the end of the hall and his door was wide open. Able to see fairly well into the dark, she saw that he'd already fallen onto the bed on his back. She stopped right outside his door knowing that she'd not been invited in. "Hey, I'll be heading back home—I think I like my bed a lot more," Pan said with a light chuckle.

"That's fine," he said wearily. His eyes were closed, he hadn't bothered looking at her.

"But you need to lock the door before I leave. I would hate to leave it open overnight."

"Think I'll survive the night," he murmured. He'd barely parted his lips to speak, but she'd heard well enough.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be caught by surprise tomorrow."

There was no response to this. She waited and still there was silence. He was asleep, turned to his side and slightly curled. How she longed to join him on that bed. He was such a solitary person, she felt an even stronger urge to change this. Surely no one liked being _that_ solitary even he'd admitted to that. Something told her, however, that cuddling was not on the table or if it was, it would be a very long time before he would tolerate it. She still hadn't decided if she was okay with this. She'd known these things—his aversion to touch, his aversion to physical intimacy—and yet she'd remained in his orbit. She couldn't decide if it was out of desperation or actual attraction. Maybe it was both.

She stayed at his door for longer than she liked to admit with her mind fantasizing what could be happening now. He was completely oblivious to it. He had no longings like that. He was fine just as he was. She eventually slipped out of the apartment and zipped across the sky back to her place. Even if she couldn't do all the things she wanted, she still felt that it had been a good day. Any time she spent with Auden was a time well spent.

* * *

Pan welcomed the next day with wide open arms. She had nothing in particular planned that day and it sounded like Auden would be busy, at least for part of the day. She'd contact him later. They'd spent a good portion of the night together—she didn't want to come off as too clingy. For a while, she thought about spending some time in the gravity room that Bulma had helped her create for herself once upon a time. It was her go-to time waster if she had nothing better to do and more often than not, she didn't.

Then she thought about Bra. Sending her text messages apparently wasn't enough; she'd never text back. By now, Pan had sent out at least a dozen over the past year inquiring how she was. Pan interpreted that as her needing space, but how long would that sentiment go on? Auden had brought up Bra a couple times in the past. He was concerned about her, but he didn't know her well enough to do anything about it, clearly hinting that she should check in on her. Of course, no one from the Brief family had said anything to her. They had their own little ecosystem, their own little world, and in many ways, they were quite secretive of their personal affairs. She wasn't part of their family even if she felt she was close friends with Bra.

There was really only one thing to do and she had the time now to do it. Pan closed her eyes as she sought out Bra's presence. It stood out from others. She was the only other female half-Saiyan out there after all. After pinpointing her, Pan took her time taking a steaming hot bath with bath salts and making herself a good, hearty breakfast. Finally, in the late morning, she took off towards Bra's relaxed ki signature. At least she wasn't stressed out. However, her mood was a different story altogether. It was a mixture of many things—too much for her to sort out.

Pan found herself at Malachi's place. She'd been inside many times before when Malachi was alive. She'd spent long nights there comforting him when there was no one else to do it. Malachi had suffered deeply here and he died here as well—it was strange that Bra would choose this place to be. Something told her that she wasn't simply visiting. It was beginning to worry her.

Pan texted Bra that she was standing right outside, but after waiting for almost thirty minutes, she knew her message would remain unanswered just like all the others. Maybe her phone was turned off. Pan had already flown over the gate so she proceeded to knocking on the large, wooden double doors to the mansion. She even rang the doorbell—nothing—but Pan knew she was inside. Finally, she tried the doorknob before doing anything more drastic. It was open. The door easily swung back on its hinges as if welcoming her in. "Oh," Pan said startled to herself. Her eyes took in the familiar sights of the house. It had been a long time. It brought back memories—she wasn't altogether sure she was ready for it. Any moment now, she'd turn the corner and find Malachi standing there. Maybe he was in the kitchen cooking some masterful dish. Or maybe he was in his living room watching some dark content exploring the depravity of the human condition. Maybe the television wasn't on at all and he was staring into the blank screen deep in thought. Or maybe the place was full of blaring music and he laid there sprawled in the center of the house enjoying the melodic sounds. Wait— _was_ there music playing or was her mind playing tricks on her?

She followed where the sounds were coming from and walked up the spiraling stairs to the second floor. She was moving towards Malachi's room. The door to his room was open. When she peered inside, she found Bra lying on her back on the bed with eyes gazing vacantly at the ceiling. Her knees were drawn up and her arms laid spread out on either side, her fine blue hair spread out widely beneath her. Music was playing loudly from speakers she couldn't see. Currently something midtempo and somewhat smooth was playing. It wasn't Malachi, but Pan imagined it was something he would have liked. Bra hadn't so much as acknowledged her, but she'd now been standing there for over a minute.

"Bra?" Pan said trying to get her attention. She started moving towards her. Bra's eyes looked over at her though she still looked to be in some sort of trance. "What are you doing?"

"You're killing the vibe," Bra said with some annoyance in her tone.

"Killing the what?" Pan asked.

Bra sighed exasperatedly. She reached over to her phone which was on the nightstand beside her, pressed a button and the music stopped. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Bra said as she sat up, pulling her legs a little closer to herself.

Bra's eyes roamed quite a bit up and down her body far more intently than what Pan was used to. She felt as if she was being evaluated for a modeling agency. Did her fashion today hold up to Bra's high standards? Pan seriously doubted it as she'd not put much thought into what she was wearing—a plain red shirt with some dark blue capris. This went on for a moment too long. Pan noted a strange interest in her bright blue eyes.

"Come over here already," Bra said patting the bed, "It won't bite you."

Pan wasn't sure what to make of her, but she wasn't too keen on sitting on that particular bed. "I don't know…" she said shaking her head.

"It's fine. I changed everything ages ago. I even got a new bed. Not that it really matters, if you think about it."

Pan hesitated a moment longer and then stepped over closer before officially sitting down.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Bra said with a teasing grin.

Pan's eyebrows furrowed a little at her. She seemed fine, cheerful even. Was she missing something? "Why haven't you been answering your phone?"

"I've had it turned off for some time now. I didn't really want to talk to anyone. This phone," Bra said holding it up so she could see better—Pan recognized it immediately before Bra uttered her next words, "it's Malachi's. I was finally able to get it back. It was taken in for evidence, but Mom was able to get it back for me. I haven't managed to look through everything—Oh, don't look at me like that, he wouldn't care if I did that. I did it all the time when he was alive. He told me his password and he never changed it; he didn't believe in using biometrics to unlock his phone."

"Of course he'd be totally fine with you snooping—he was probably too smart to hide anything juicy on it," Pan said with a grin.

"That's Malachi for you. Always five steps ahead of you. I haven't found anything interesting, not that I was really looking for that sort of thing. I just…wanted something of him nearby. I started looking through his fan mail. There's just a ton of e-mails—there was no way he was ever going to get through all those by himself. Now I can see why he was forever on his phone or laptop. I read them, sometimes I even reply—I tell them it's me, of course. It makes me feel so connected to so many people. It makes me realize how big the world really is. I kind of took it for granted. It makes me realize just how much he meant to so many others—I think it was selfish of us to keep his death secret from everyone. I know Quint isn't really to be commended, but I think it was still a good thing to do. All those celebrities that he effected, all those people that he inspired to pursue music careers of their own, all those people who'd fallen in love with him and his music. It's beautiful."

"You sound just like Auden," Pan commented.

"Do I?" Bra said with a grin. "How would you know? You've been hanging out with him?"

"Sometimes," Pan said unwilling to admit at this point that she'd been hanging out with him exclusively.

"I know that tone," Bra said teasingly. "Well, next time you see him. Tell him, I really appreciate the white rose—I liked how it shined even in the dark. I…think I understand what he was trying to tell me. From someone I don't know that well, that was really thoughtful. It's still in my room on the windowsill."

"I'll be sure to tell him, whenever I see him again."

"Uh-huh," Bra said clearly not fooled in regards to just how often she saw him.

"How are you doing? You look better than expected for someone permanently dodging calls."

"I'm doing as well as I can be. I haven't really been home in a while. I wanted to give Jensen all the space he wanted. I think this arrangement has been fine. We get to cool off from each other."

"Are you really okay staying in this house though? You could have just found a hotel or something."

Bra shook her head, "This is much better. Even better now that you're here."

"Don't try to suck up to me now," Pan said with a laugh. "Had I not come, you would have just continued being here alone."

"I haven't been in an especially social mood. I'm not really alone. Dad visits a lot even if we don't have much to say. I think I've spent most of my days blasting music from Malachi's playlists. You know Malachi spent a lot of time making those. It's not randomly generated—he actually placed songs he knew in deliberately and these are ridiculously long. It'd take over a month to listen to all of them straight through."

"Not surprising," Pan said. "You actually get him started on music of any kind, be prepared to get your ears talked off."

"That's when you cut him off and let him know that he's been on that subject for almost an hour. I thought it was cute. I was annoyed at the time, but still. I wish I could be that passionate about something in my life. But I've never found that thing that I clicked with."

"Everyone knows what your real passion is," Pan said looking at her now with a mischievous look.

Bra was mystified, "And what would that be?"

"Sex," Pan said with a laugh.

Bra started laughing as well. "I don't know if I agree. It's been a very long time since that happened. Even when he was alive, when things happened, he just wasn't into it near the end. It's no wonder, right? I wouldn't be either if I was in his shoes."

"You must have some sort of fever. Who are you and what have you done with the real Bra?"

"She's still here, but she's had far too much time to think about things."

Bra moved over to the side of the bed so that she could sit next to her. Perhaps she sat a bit closer than usual, but Pan chalked it up to her being by herself for so long—she didn't mind it.

"So you've just been in here jamming to music and self-reflecting?"

Bra nodded. "That's basically it. Nothing special. I haven't touched the kitchen and hardly anywhere else in here—besides the bathroom, of course. I just order out all the time and I like to stay in this room."

"Again—what have you done with the real Bra? You'd go stir-crazy sitting in one place for too long."

"It's different now," Bra said simply.

"I can see that."

"People do change."

Pan realized that the other had moved a little closer to her. Was she leaning towards her now? Pan had turned her head to look at her and she was presented with bright blue eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of playfulness. Then, the meager distance between them disappeared as if it hadn't been there at all and Pan felt lips upon hers, soft and inviting. Pan did not pull away, momentarily in shock. Her thoughts became too incoherent to sort through. She found her own lips pressing against hers. What were they doing?

She didn't want it to end as she began running on autopilot, responding exclusively to her ardor. How long had it been since she'd felt anything remotely like this? Her fervor surprised even herself. She was taken aback, however, when she felt the other's tongue in her mouth. Pan started to pull back, but Bra pressed forward.

"Not to your liking?" Bra asked, pausing for a moment and looking at her.

Pan looked at her mutely and shook her head no. Then they were going at it again. She couldn't find it in herself to protest. Something was stopping her from doing that. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying herself. A slender hand slipped under her shirt and she felt soft fingers lightly running across her bra. Pan was finally able to regain some of her senses as this new sensation snapped her out of the trance.

"What is this? What are you doing?" Pan asked looking at the other fully now with eyebrows furrowed.

Her hand remained there gently massaging the silk material of her bra. She grinned at her. "I don't know really…I just felt like doing it and you haven't stopped me yet. Are you asking me to stop?"

Pan couldn't decipher her own thoughts once again, but this time her mind had become too jumbled. Another hand joined the other, playing with the silk material now.

"Yours was always bigger than mine. It's a shame you keep them hidden under ugly shirts," Bra said.

"Because showing them off was never a priority of mine." Pan could see that the other's eyes were on her breasts clearly interested in them.

Her hands were teasing and Pan wanted those hands on her bare skin. She wanted someone other than herself to feel them in their entirety. That thought had taken root and she was hard pressed to ignore it. She reached behind herself and unhooked the bra. The straps hung looser now. Those baby soft hands wasted no time cupping them into her palm. Bra giggled at this and Pan grinned at her antics.

"Is it everything you hoped?" Pan asked.

"Somehow when it someone else's, it's far more satisfying. I've always liked yours—so round and plump and so very neglected. If they were mine, I don't know if I could ever stop touching myself."

"Maybe it's a good thing that they're not."

"Do you like how that feels?" Bra asked giving her breast a nice squeeze.

"It's…nice," Pan said truthfully.

Bra leaned in again and Pan responded in kind, realizing that she was already missing her lips, warm and succulent. Her fervor increased and so did Bra's. They were so close now that they're breasts were pressing into each other. Bra's arms were around her, but Pan hadn't the presence of mind to do the same—they simply idled on the other's lap. They parted for a moment to catch their breaths. Pan had no idea how long they'd spent doing that. Bra's index finger ran slowly down Pan's lips as she wore a mischievous grin. Why did that make the heat flush to her cheeks? Pan's lips parted and Bra slipped in her wandering finger. Gently, she pushed it in and out and Pan's tongue wetted its surface. Her blue eyes grew soft as she did this. Pan had no idea what was happening—it was best not to think at all. There was a growing excitement she was beginning to feel. What was this? Bra slid her finger out, glistening now with saliva and then placed it into her mouth as she smiled broadly.

"Mmmm," Bra moaned and her eyes closed as well.

Watching her do this made her feel anxious. Knots and butterflies formed in her stomach. She'd never seen her like this before and she looked beautiful as always. She was so carefree and spirited and ever the center of attention. Pan couldn't take her eyes off her, admiring all of her physical qualities. What would this stunning woman want to do with her?

She was pulling at her pants now and her eyes looked at Pan questioningly. In most situations, Pan would be horrified, but she knew this woman—she'd known her for her entire life. What terrible thing could she do to her? She knew she was in no danger of being penetrated. There was nothing to worry about at all. Pan was sliding down her pants, but the anxiousness hadn't disappeared. It was an odd, queasy sensation in her stomach mixed with excitement and curiosity.

"Panties," Bra said as she tugged at this as well.

At this, Pan hesitated a little.

"Do you want me to stop?" Bra asked sensing the other's unease.

Pan shook her head no watching the other steadily. She pulled down the final barrier to her sacred grounds.

"Beautiful," Bra said with an encouraging smile. Her fingers felt for her opening now. "Do you mind?" she asked.

"I'll let you know if I do," Pan said surprising herself with her confidence.

Bra took away her hand and stood up before approaching the other. She placed her hands on the edge of the bed between Pan's opened legs and leaned forward—Bra wanted her to move back further on the bed and Pan did so. Then Bra joined her as well and she began positioning her. Pan's forearms were on the pillows now with her knees holding her up beneath her, and buttocks pointed outward horizontally behind her. Bra's hands felt the roundness of her romp before smacking it once and then twice.

"How about using some force next time, princess," Pan teased the other.

"My poor fragile hands," Bra said back in mocking tones, "But I've always wanted to do that."

Before Pan could reply she gasped at the first hint of wetness upon the lips of her vagina. The knot in her stomach loosened and a warmness began to spread. At first the tongue was tentative and explorative. Pan clenched the pillow a little harder each time a new part of her was touched especially as it passed over her clitoris. On second inspection, it stayed there longer twisting and turning. Pan couldn't help the sounds coming forth from her own mouth, gasping and moaning as if in pain. There was a tear in the pillow she was holding and that tear grew worse and worse as Bra continued relentlessly. Bra began humming and the vibrations only stimulated her further at which point Pan cried out in frustration. Something was coming, this feeling that she couldn't quite decide was good or bad. There was a strange pressure that was beginning to drive her crazy. Would there ever be some sort of release? How long had they been going at this?

Her tongue paused for a bit. "You're a hard woman to please," she said breathlessly.

"Keep going," Pan ordered.

The soft wet give of her tongue returned to her now throbbing region and Bra began on her again this time more vigorously than before. Yet as she did this, Pan did not feel the same response. It was beginning to feel annoying and tedious, that pressure beginning to fade.

"Alright—I've had enough," Pan said with a sigh.

"Are you sure?" Bra asked stopping again.

"Very."

Bra pulled back and Pan was able to finally relax and sit up normally. She looked over at Bra who wore a grin as she shook her head.

"I bet I could have done it, if you'd let me keep going," Bra said teasingly.

"Doubt it. No one's ever managed to do it."

"That sounds like a challenge."

Pan sighed. "It's impossible. I don't know if I even care."

"Such an ace thing to say. Even now in the midst of all this. You seem so unimpressed."

"This isn't so bad," Pan said with a grin, "Now when are _you_ gonna' take your clothes off? You have me butt naked and you haven't even taken off a shirt."

"Let's change that shall we?" Bra said as she took off her shirt. She crawled a little closer to her after she was finished discarding every piece of clothing.

Pan found herself smiling at the other as she fully took in her petite form and her small, perky breasts. "Cute."

"I'm glad you think so. We can't all be etched out in muscle."

She was falling in love with her curves as her eyes passed over her again, but she'd always been drawn to the look of things. "How about I return the favor?" Pan asked after a moment.

"You're gonna' do the same thing with me?" Bra asked with a tilted head.

"No—that would be disgusting and unpleasant."

Bra made a face at this.

"But my fingers are quite adept," Pan said as she slowly inserted first her index, then middle, and finally ring finger into her mouth wetting it thoroughly. "I've done it to myself so much, I'm practically an expert. And I bet you'll be more responsive."

"Well, we'll see."

Bra sat down with her legs spread part apart and folded beneath her so that she was elevated enough for Pan to reach her area. Pan moved closer to her and began on her without further ado. She felt for her hole and traced out the shape of it. Then the massage began energetically sliding back forth upon the lips and tickling her clitoris. Pan could tell immediately that Bra was enjoying it and she was far more vocal about crying out in encouragement. Bra leaned upon her shoulders, her body rigid with excitement as Pan increased her pace. She began her insertion with two fingers and then with a third when she realized how responsive she was. Her body was shuddering against her.

"You like that?" Pan asked as she continued to pump her fingers.

"Faster," Bra demanded between pants.

This was still within her skill and with ease she increased her pace. Within moments as her cries became more desperate, hot liquid covered her fingers.

"That was easy," Pan said smugly as she retracted her fingers. "Pretty roomy in there."

Bra slumped against her now. "Yeah, well," she began as her quickened breathing slowed, "You try having two kids and see how your pussy fares after that."

"Sure it's not from all that dick action you prided yourself on getting?"

"Very funny."

"I still don't get the allure. You orgasm and all this weird fluid comes out. Then it's over." Pan was wiping her fingers on the bed.

Bra pulled back from her and sat up on her own. She placed her hand on the one Pan was wiping on the bed and brought it to her lips. "You're forgetting that it feels damn good." Pan watched as the other wiped off the remnants of the fluid with her mouth as she carefully brought it in and out of her mouth. "See, all clean."

Pan grinned at her. It wasn't long before they were kissing again. Bra's lips tasted saltier and Pan made a face at this. She wasn't particularly fond of the taste of Bra's orgasm, but it was short-lived. Bra pushed against her until Pan was lying back on the bed. Rhythmically, Bra began moving against her. She wasn't sure what they were doing at this point. Pan allowed her body to move in tandem. It was pleasant, relaxing even. They were winding down it seemed. Bra moved her face away and laid her head in the crook of her neck. She sighed exhaustively.

"Had enough?" Pan asked.

Pan felt the other's head bobbing against her in a nod. "You were a good sport," Bra replied. She rolled off of her and onto the bed. "Nothing like how it was with Malachi."

"Nothing is like how it was with him."

"That's true," Bra agreed. "Everything feels different."

"Doesn't everything just seem duller?"

"Extremely. I can hardly appreciate things, but at the same time I do because I know he would have wanted me to."

"He would want people to be happy, enjoying themselves."

"Maybe he might have joined us on this bed," Bra said through her grin.

They were quiet for a moment and then they both laughed at this.

"He would have loved that," Pan said good-naturedly.

"Such a lady's man—I doubt he would have declined the invitation if I was okay with it."

"He seemed to like surrounding himself with women."

"He preferred women over men and I kind of feel bad that I practically cut him off from all other women who had been in his life before. Those were his only friends. I was so insecure. Now it just seems so stupid."

"You weren't stupid, not entirely. He really sucks at picking good people to hang out with. And sometimes he's too naïve for his own good."

They were both gazing up at the ceiling stark naked lying on their back. Bra's hair mingled with Pan's. It felt comfortable. Talking about Malachi felt natural. He'd been on both of their minds.

"Did you love him?" Bra asked seemingly from out of the blue.

"I liked him." Pan wondered what the other was really asking.

"Was that really all? You never fantasized about him? You never wanted to actually be with him?"

Pan was quiet as words became stuck in her throat.

"You two would have made a great couple," Bra continued. "Maybe he would have still been alive had I just let go after nearly killing him the first time."

"Bra, don't do that to yourself. Anyone can come up with a dozen and one ways to avoid things after the fact."

"Just tell me, Pan. I need to know. I won't be mad, I swear. It's been driving me crazy just thinking about it."

Pan's eyes focused even more on the ceiling debating with herself whether she should be so open with her feelings. What would it hurt? Malachi somehow returning seemed like a pipedream at best even if she didn't want to stop believing in it. "Yeah, I liked him a lot, maybe more than I should have."

"I knew it. He could talk so easily with you."

"We did spend a lot of time together at some point. If you had actually seen how pitiful he was after you broke up with him, I don't think you would have let it go on for that long. He was spiraling and I found him in a very dark place…I don't think he ever left that place. I don't think it was entirely because of the breakup. Even with me, he didn't reveal everything about himself. I knew there was something else, something that had been there already."

"Something to do with Quint," Bra said, "Dad told me an interesting story about him and Malachi."

"I know they had a rocky relationship," Pan said, "He pretty much hated the guy and respected him as well for all he did for him."

"He ever told you why that was?" Bra asked.

"He was overbearing and wanted to control every aspect of his life."

"Quint used to beat him and lock him up in rooms without feeding him as a way of disciplining him as a kid."

"He was physically abused?" Bra asked surprised.

"Yeah, but Quint said he did it because he had no choice. Malachi was more than obnoxious as a kid, borderline insane, animalistic. He used to kill animals and pee on stuff in the house."

"What? That doesn't sound like him at all."

"I know, but I think I believe him. Things went too far one day—he got really sick and then he was just different. He doesn't seem to remember any of it or at least, his mind filled in the blanks with something else."

"That sounds awful. Imagine how traumatic that would have been especially as a child when you don't understand everything. It makes things ten times scarier. That's if Quint isn't just spinning some crazy tale to make himself look better."

"I really don't think he was lying. Dad said he didn't sense that from him when he was telling the story. What I don't get is why Malachi was like that in the first place? What made him like that?"

Pan shook her head. "I have no idea. Well, maybe I'll take a shot in the dark. Malachi, he's a deeply emotional person, but at the same time, he wants everything to make sense to him so he's forever trying to come up with ways to explain the unknown and confusing. No one really taught him how to do that and I can imagine, in the beginning, it would have been difficult. He could have seen something that didn't make sense and have been moved so powerfully by it that it shaped how he interacted with the world at large. No one told him it was wrong. No one until Quint."

"That…actually sounds like it fits. It makes perfect sense. Yeah," Bra said slowly digesting her words. "But if that's true…"

"Yeah, I know, it sucks. A shitty beginning, a shitty fatherly figure. Instead of growing up normally, he was on display all the time and had to play the part. At what point could he be completely himself? Did he ever figure out just who he was in the first place? He must have been so used to living such a fragmented life that maybe he didn't know how to be any other way."

"It's hard to think about. You're right—he was definitely fragmented. I kept accusing him of hiding things from me, but maybe it wasn't intentional. Maybe there was nothing devious about it."

"It's too bad those things never got resolved."

"It's like I said, he would have been better with you."

"Bra—

"I'm serious. I'm being dead serious. Malachi needed someone who would listen to him just like you said and you do it so well. You see things about people that I could never notice on my own. I was jealous at the time, but now, I really like that you guys got along. I don't know, maybe he loved you to a certain degree."

"He was infatuated with you. I don't think he ever saw me like that."

"I found a playlist on his phone titled _Son Pan_ and there were a lot of soulful love songs on it—the music I was playing when you stepped in. That's how I knew. I never looked at his music before because we had differing tastes. Sure, I knew a few of his favorites, but that was it. Clearly he recognized that you would be good for him, but never acted on it."

"Aren't you stretching a bit? Just because of a playlist doesn't mean he really liked me like that."

"I would bet everything I own. Usually, if he knew that I didn't like him hanging out with someone, he'd stop. I never saw him hang out with Marron anymore, but you, he could never really stop calling you. You were the one person in which he staunchly refused to break contact with. We got into arguments about it. He would get up in the middle of the night, out of our bed and go to some quiet place in the house just to call you, like it was a necessity. When I caught him one day doing that and then told him no,—I was being such a bitch—he was pretty pissy for the rest of the next day. Then I just let it go, because I knew I could never win that battle. Don't you remember him still calling you even after we got back together?"

"Yeah, I do," Pan conceded, "I knew it was something you wouldn't like, but…I couldn't bring myself to just ignore him. I didn't think we were doing anything wrong. Well, surface-wise, but the things we talked about became so personal that I wondered if these weren't things he should be telling you. And every time I said 'you should talk to Bra about that' he would always say 'she wouldn't understand'. I didn't want to admit it at the time, but in the back of my mind, it did feel like a sort of an emotional betrayal. I mean, the only thing we weren't doing was being physical, but maybe you know this by now, but 90% of a relationship perhaps even more when it comes to asexuals is having a deep understanding of each other. That other stuff is mostly optional, some prefer it more than others. I tried to justify it by saying we were just friends, but I knew it was more than that even if neither of us would say it aloud."

"I'm not even upset about that. You're telling me that he was probably cheating on me emotionally and I don't really have a reaction," Bra said with a shrug, "Maybe it's because it was you. Maybe it's because I really had no idea how to completely understand him and I'm just glad he was able to have some level of that elsewhere. Maybe monogamy isn't all that it's cracked up to be and it's possible to love more than one person at the same time and it still be healthy."

"The old Bra would never say the things you're saying now. It's borderline controversial, you know. When you're with someone, you want that person to like you exclusively—let's face it, you like the attention and there's no way you would ever tolerate it being divided with someone else."

"That's the thing; I found myself changing being with Malachi. I found myself tolerating things I never would have in the past. I think it was a good thing. He was opening my narrow-minded views. I'd lived in my own world for so long. Then suddenly, I was stepping into his or, however much he felt comfortable with me stepping into. It was a slow-go and it was…painful. I made it painful because I could only see things my way. When you're in that moment, everything's so complicated. There were so many hurdles and obstacles in our relationship, but in the end, I just wanted to be happy and I wanted him to be happy as well. If he loved me the same way he always has and you were in the picture as well and _that_ made him happy, in some alternate reality, I could see myself being fine with that. I would never have agreed to it back then when it counted, but now when it's all said and done, I don't see what the big fuss would have been. It's not like you two would have been boning each other."

"I never saw us truly together because we lacked that spark, the thing that makes you do silly, illogical things for that person," Pan said, "Like I said, he was infatuated with you, not me. If he was ever exclusively with me, I don't think I would have been enough. Maybe he knew that. Maybe that's why he never really pursued anything like that with me. The line between really close friends and asexual lovers becomes a bit blurry, even subjective. I also think that my family is very different from yours. I don't even live with them. I think part of the allure for him was feeling like he was part of a larger family—something he never had. I can't picture my father and Malachi being all that close. I don't know if they'd see eye to eye on things. He's very traditional and Malachi is anything but. I just don't see anything in their respective lives that they would connect on. Although, I do think my mom would have liked him, but, you know, most women like him so that's kind of a given."

Bra laughed at this. "He had no trouble talking with my grandma and everybody, including me, think that she's a little weird. One time, I found them watching movies together late at night and my grandma was doing most of the talking. I thought to myself 'of course'. If it's a woman, Malachi has no trouble getting them to open up."

"Even Marron and she's not the easiest person to like. She's so secretive all the time too," Pan said.

"You're telling me. But we all know that the easiest way to her heart is through money," Bra said with a laugh.

"True," Pan said with a chuckle.

Their laughs died down and for a moment they simply laid there in complete silence. It was a pleasant sort of silence. Pan began to ponder on the things stated before. Saying it out loud, her analysis of Malachi seemed accurate. What really stood out to her aside from the thing about Quint was that Bra was so open now. The things they'd done together not too long ago that she had instigated was something Pan would never think she'd consider. It had been fun and interesting. She liked it even. She felt closer to Bra than she had been in a long time. Did friends do these things? Could she still consider them friends? It was too complicated to put a label on.

"So you've been hanging out with Auden," Bra said breaking the silence.

"A little."

"Don't be coy."

"We talk on the phone sometimes," Pan admitted. Why was she blushing now? It was giving her away.

"Pan, let's not do secrets here. I've had enough of that for one lifetime. With Malachi I've just accepted it—it was a part of who he was—but it's not a part of who _you_ are. So just tell me. I don't judge people anymore."

It was easy to believe that, Pan found. Something was different about Bra and the knot in the back of her throat eased away. "It's been shitty for a while. You know that better than anyone—

"Maybe it's the same. We both lost someone we loved deeply."

Pan didn't want to equate her pain with Bra's. It wasn't as if they'd had kids together, but she didn't argue with her. "Perhaps. I felt really alone and my parents didn't really understand. I mean, they were sympathetic, but they didn't _really_ understand. They just hadn't known Malachi that well other than the fact that they knew I was a huge fan of his. I live by myself and it was just difficult to keep doing life. Then Auden called me. I'd told him to do that ages ago, but he waits until now to do it. I didn't hate him for it, I was desperate for some sort of connection with someone and I had a crush on him, a silly crush that I haven't told anyone about."

"Physically, he's your type," Bra said, "Everybody knows that you like the blond hair, blue eye type. Usually, though, their personalities turn you off quickly. And Auden, well he seems really mature."

"Very mature. I mean, out of my league kind of mature. And he's so smart. I think he's some kind of genius. Sometimes I wonder how he even sees me as his equal. Then there's the age gap."

"And the fact that he dated my mother once upon a time."

"He what?!" Pan asked.

Bra laughed at this. "Once upon a time. Mom told me a very interesting story about him. It's personal so I don't think I should repeat it."

"He never told me about your mom."

"Maybe he didn't think it was important. I mean, when I say long ago, I mean far into the past. It seemed pretty short-lived as well. I hate to say it, but my mom probably got around, if you know what I mean."

"Well, I wouldn't know. Your mom seems really nice."

"To people she likes, sure." She switched gears. "From what I could see at work, Auden seems pretty closed off. Is he like that with you?" Bra asked.

"Yeah, he is, but things are slowly changing the more I hang out with him. His mom passed away when he was in college and she cooked soul food. I think he's biracial."

"He is," Bra said, "And so are we in the most literal sense."

Pan laughed at this. "That's right, we are. As far as I know, he's completely human. He never talks about his dad so I can assume he wasn't part of his life at all."

"Good assumption," Bra said with a nod.

"He's asexual and I think aromantic. I'm not sure. I haven't actually asked him to tell me specifically what he is, but I know what he does and doesn't like. He doesn't like to be touched and he doesn't like touching other people unless it's absolutely necessary so no kissing or cuddling or anything of that nature. Sometimes I wonder if I'm alright with that. Sometimes I wonder why I keep continuing things with him if I can never do those things with him comfortably. I wonder why I still like him as much as I do and why I think he's so perfect."

"Because touch isn't that important to you either. The thing that you crave is an emotional connection and I think you have that with him," Bra said.

"You think so? I mean, he's so different from me. He's not all that adventurous. He likes computers and numbers and I like animals."

"Well, I don't know him that well, but there must be something about him that resonates with you or else you wouldn't still be talking to him. I've never known you to stay with someone you just didn't like. Maybe…he wants to be adventurous. Maybe you want to be more knowledgeable. Maybe he appreciates animals and maybe you appreciate technology."

"When you said that, it made perfect sense to me. You could be right. He made me a phone from scratch and I really love it. I've been liking it more and more each day."

"See? And with him being such a closed off person, it's a good thing that he's opening up to you. If anyone could do that, it's you. You're good at it. He probably needs that. Just like,"—Pan looked down when she felt Bra's hand intertwine with hers—"I need you."

Pan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and shock. What was she saying? "I…don't know about this."

"Relax, no one asking you to choose. No one's saying that anyone's in some strict relationship. Everything's a bit up in the air. All I know is that I like that you're with someone who makes you happy and that I still want to hang out with you. I desperately need to hang out with someone who isn't myself."

"But let's say I _was_ in a relationship with Auden. I mean, look what we just did, isn't that?—aren't I cheating on him? I should probably tell him about this."

Bra sat up, taking her hand away from hers and leaning back on her arms. "You can tell him whatever you feel you should tell him. I don't care what you do. Just let things go as they will, but I do want to hang out with you more, if that's alright. You being here today, made me realize that I've really been isolated for too long."

She was still so relaxed, not at all perturbed with the implications. Pan reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, Bra, let's just do it. I want to hang out again too, like we used to when we were kids. We were so inseparable then."

"I would like that, Pan, I would really like that."


	4. Misunderstanding

Aster climbed three flights of stairs to reach the apartment she shared with her father. Upon attempting to unlock the door, she realized that it was already unlocked. That was highly suspect since her father always made sure to lock it and he rarely strayed from routine. In fact, she began to panic when her mind conjured up all the horrible things that might have happened. She quickly ran in calling out his name until she got to his room and saw that he appeared fine. His hair was different and though this was surprising enough, her eyes were drawn embarrassingly to his noticeable erection as he'd not bothered to climb under the comforters this time. She'd seen it before and knew that it didn't necessarily mean anything significant, but it was embarrassing all the same. She often found herself in a situation in which she was waking him and at least half of those times, she'd find her father fully extended. Today was just one of those days.

Something was going on and she didn't like things out of the ordinary not when it came to him. She had to make sure he was alright. He had a fragile constitution. She'd been with him long enough to know that almost anything could set him off in a bad way and that he may not recover all that well from it. They'd made so much progress lately. He was far more independent than he'd ever been and she didn't want him to backpedal after all that hard work.

The clock read that it was nearly 9 in the morning. Why was he still asleep at this hour?—he was overdue for his medication and he had to take those precisely at 8. Determinedly, she walked over and shook him to wakefulness. He seemed particularly difficult to rouse that morning; that was usually not the case.

"Dad, come on, you gotta' take your pills," Aster said authoritatively as she shook him vigorously now.

He groaned wearily at this. Aster breathed a sigh of relief now that he was actually responding. His eyes were still half-closed. "Mmm, what time is it?" he asked in a heavy voice. He looked about for the clock even though she was sure the position of the digital clock in the room hadn't changed in ages.

"Almost 9 o'clock—you're late," Aster said with some urgency. After all it was something quite important to his continued lucidity. "Did you have a late night?"

He sighed heavily as his eyes finally found the clock. He'd moved only a little and his body still laid sprawled upon messy comforters, "Very late night," he confirmed, "Haven't done that in a while." This concerned her as well.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but let's try to stay on track, okay? I'll get the pills and water."

"Mhm," his voice rumbled as his eyes closed again. He hadn't even so much as sat up. He appeared quite exhausted.

Before her eyes, he was falling asleep again with no sense of urgency much to her frustration. Were it not for the medication, she would have left him in peace as he appeared incredibly relaxed. It must have been a good night for him—no nightmares, no sleeplessness from anxiety.

She went to the bathroom to get his pills, but just as she did, she realized that he hadn't eaten anything yet. Taking those heavy pills on an empty stomach never turned out well for him. He'd be feeling bad for the rest of the day. She quickly made something in the kitchen—bacon and eggs—and came back to his room with a hot plate and a glass of water. He had not moved in the slightest and it was well past 9 by now. Aster had to go through all the trouble of rousing him again, but this time she could bribe him with food. She placed the food on the bed and the water on the nightstand in front of the digital clock.

"Hey, Dad, I got some food for you and your pills."

He barely responded to her with a slight movement of his head.

"It's important," Aster reiterated.

"Yeah, I know," he murmured, though he had yet to open his eyes. He seemed determined to ignore her.

"Very important," she said forcefully. A moment later, he seemed to respond and Aster stepped back as he finally began sitting up.

He kept one of his hands on his face, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his fingers and letting it run down the rest of his face. He looked at her fully only after he moved over to the side of the bed. There was still bleariness in his eyes as they lingered on her. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Sometimes you look just like her…" he said with an odd cadence to his voice.

She decided it was better that she made herself scarce for a bit at least until after he'd taken everything. He was getting a bit loopy. She knew the 'her' he was referring to. Usually, it was a compliment to be compared to one's mother, but in her case, it made her feel awful. She knew what her mother had done and she hated her for it.

"Dad, I put everything on the bed beside you. I'll, uh, I'll be back in a little while."

When he was momentarily distracted from her, seeking out the food, she slipped out of the room, closed the door, and then waited patiently on the ground beside his bedroom. She looked up when the door opened again after a while. He wore a confused expression likely because she was sitting there in the hallway. She smiled and said, "Good Morning" to him as friendly as possible, testing the waters. He paused briefly and responded in fashion with a monotone she had come to expect from his voice. He was normalized, he was calm, he was safe to be around—there were no odd notes to his voice, no hidden paranoia, no singular need to disconnect from everything and everybody. He acknowledged her without difficulty and he had no issue with her presence. This was who she preferred. Beneath, she knew lied a broken and unreachable man who would be content to exist in complete sensory deprivation if he was to exist at all. The medication which maintained his mental state was his lifeline and she constantly reminded him to take them. Though it was important, for the most part, his enthusiasm towards them were lackluster at best. But then, he was lackluster in most things. She couldn't tell whether he genuinely hated to take the medication or not.

She was left to her own devices for a short while as he continued on to the bathroom down the hall. As he did this, she stepped back into the room to check if he actually ate everything. She found everything empty—the plate, the glass, and the slot for the pills for today on the medication carrier. She took these things and brought it to the kitchen. Then she meticulously went about cleaning up the kitchen and putting the dishes away. By the time she came to the room, her father was fully dressed with his eyeglasses already on.

She paused there in the doorway taking a closer look at his hair, more taken aback by how different he looked. She was starting to wonder if he was some imposter. Her mind couldn't quite put all the pieces together. Did he manage to cut his own hair?

"Alright, this is killing me, Dad. What happened to your hair, seriously?"

He regarded her with a side-glance before returning his gaze back to his phone. "I had someone cut it for me."

"You say that like it's a casual thing. You realize you've never ever cut your hair before—at least since I've known you. You keep that haircutting kit around, but it's just for show. Now this? Did somebody knock you out and then steal your hair or something?"

"You have quite the imagination. I did have someone do it, as I said, someone who I know well enough for it not to be an impossible task."

Aster sighed exasperatedly, "Don't tell me it's Pan again. You're still talking to her?"

"Yes, it was her. Not exactly a difficult conclusion to come to," he remarked.

Aster frowned at this. "You know how I feel about her. It's already getting out of hand—you had her cut your hair? What's next? What other compromises are you going to have to squirm through?"

"Compromising isn't such a bad thing. In fact, I think it's necessary and commonplace."

"That doesn't apply to you," Aster said as she now stepped into the room. "You know what compromise means? Changes. You have to do something outside of your comfort zone and that isn't a good thing for you." She sat down on the opposite side of the bed her father was sitting.

"So far, I've been enjoying this new haircut and I'm fine. Nothing terrible happened."

"For now, but it always goes bad. Age issue aside, she won't really be able to understand you. Maybe she likes you because you're different. I think that's always been the case, hasn't it? They see that you're 'different' from everyone else. They're drawn in by the mystery—you don't say much about yourself and you keep to yourself. Then they find out who you really are, and they abandon you. I don't know why you bother."

"I understand what you're saying, but I don't think I could go on living like this without having some sort of…closeness with another. And though I might enjoy my solitude more than others, even I can't escape feeling lonely sometimes. It comes and goes, but when it's there, it's hard to ignore."

"How about me?" Aster said quietly, "Why can't I do? We've known each other for a long time and I feel like we've talked about everything. What more do you need?"

"You mean a great deal to me, Aster. I cherish every moment we spend together. Don't ever think otherwise. But that isn't enough. Not always."

Aster shook her head at this and glanced back at him. "What even is your definition of a relationship with other people? You're pretty much just close friends with them. That's all you want, it seems like. No touching, no kissing, no sex—just having someone to talk to. And I can do all those things. I know I've been out of the house more lately, but I can cut back on that, you know. Hang out with you more."

"Aster, what are you suggesting?"

"You don't need anyone else because _I'm_ friends with you and I won't ever abandon you. I'm really the only one who can understand you. Whatever you think you have with Pan, you can have with me. I'll be the closest friend you can ever ask for."

He sighed wearily at this much to her displeasure. Had she said something wrong? It took him a long moment to even respond. "You're my daughter who I care about deeply, but what you've proposed simply cannot be. I could never be in the same sort of relationship I might have with Pan, with you. Those lines would never cross, not in my mind. To even suggest such a thing…"

He left his thoughts unfinished and her eyebrows furrowed at this. He made it sound like it was out of the question, but she knew her father well and she knew what his ideal relationship would look like. No one in their right mind would ever agree to a lifetime commitment living within those strange, limiting parameters. It was more of a mental affair and most others required far more than that in a real relationship. Knowing these things, she knew that he was better off just keeping to himself and being content with just a friendship with somebody if he wanted something constant like that.

"What's wrong? Do I look too much like her?"

"…That isn't it. I appreciate your concern, but perhaps your advice is a bit misguided."

"How long, Dad? How long do you think it'll take this time before the initial curiosity is over? She'll get to know you a little better, find out who you are, and then realize that she's in over her head and that she could never be in a relationship in which she can't touch you like normal people do. The novelty always wears off. And then it's never good what happens to you after that."

"We are simply friends. That's all. Two adults getting to know one another a little more each day."

"You text her every day?"

"She doesn't seem to mind."

"You probably think about her a lot too. You probably admire her already. You've probably mulled around every single detail about her over and over in your head. That's just how you are. You get attached way too quickly. Don't try to tell me otherwise. Friends is code for a deep relationship for you and I bet she doesn't feel the same way. I bet she's second guessing herself right now. What would you really do if she called you right now to end things?"

"We would simply go our separate ways."

"No, she would leave you behind and then we're right back where we're started. That's a trigger, you know. Being in a relationship is a trigger because it always ends in failure."

"I can't avoid something simply because it might end in failure. It's something that I've done for a long time, but I've never agreed with it. I can't truthfully say how I would react should she suddenly decide to break ties with me, but it seems unlikely that it would happen."

"For now," Aster said haughtily. "Are you really that naïve to think nothing bad is going to happen?"

"That is always a possibility in all things. In this instance, I'm willing to take a chance."

"Of course you are," Aster said with disdain, "You just can't help yourself. The moment you called her back, you already made your decision. I told you not to and yet you still did. What? In spite of me? You didn't think your situation wasn't precarious enough? You just needed a little more danger in your life?"

"Perhaps you should have a little more faith in me. It would be helpful if you were more supportive."

"I won't support something I know won't end well. Listen, I know it sounds harsh," she said as she leaned back onto her arms on the bed, "but this thing you have with Pan, it's not worth the risk. You cannot handle being in a relationship with her or anybody that isn't me who really understands you. As soon as you can, you should end things with her."

"Things aren't as serious as you seem to think—"

"But it will be if you keep this up even if it isn't already and I don't buy that for a second. You're letting her cut your hair. I can't imagine how much you had to endure for that. You've gone on for this long without a haircut and now you suddenly feel like it's top priority? I think you were just telling yourself that to justify how grossly you had to compromise to make her feel better. You knew that she'd like that and in that moment, her happiness mattered more than yours and that's a dangerous situation to be in. That can't happen again."

"You paint a very one-sided picture. She's had to compromise as well and she's only ever been respectful of my boundaries. Who better than myself should decide if something has gone too far or not? It was not such a terrible strain last night that I couldn't endure it. I know you're worried about me, but I do enough of that on my own."

"Do you? From what I can tell, it gets worse from here and you're inviting it. It will escalate. She'll want more and more. She'll think she's making 'progress' with you, but we all know that that's superficial at best. She'll think: "Oh, one day I might be able to kiss him" or "One day we can sleep in the same bed all it takes is some time." You know that's a lie. You know those things aren't even on the table and I bet you haven't told her those things."

"We're just friends."

"I bet she was all too eager to run her hands through your hair for any off the wall reason. If she really knew or understood you, she would not have agreed to it at all. But she didn't pass it up. If that was a test, she failed miserably."

"She did a good job. There was no way she could have known how serious I was about it versus being uncomfortable with that sort of thing. She did what she thought was best. She made an honest effort and it wasn't out of malice or opportunity."

"You don't know that for certain. It might have been a bit of both—she was being opportunistic and concerned about actually doing your hair." Aster turned and looked at him again. Then she stood up and walked around the bed to get a better look at him. "Although, it's starting to grow on me."

"It took me far less time to wash my hair and it's already dry and styled. For all that convenience, I think it was worth the effort to get it in the first place."

Aster rolled her eyes at this. "Sure, Dad. Don't forget what I said though. It only escalates."

His eyes became thoughtful and then he closed them as if in reflection. "You've never been wrong about this sort of thing."

"Exactly," she said, glad that he was beginning to see things her way. Pan was a headache he didn't need. "And you've been doing so well lately except for today. Other than that though…You've actually been keeping up with your medication. No panic attacks. Work hasn't been too stressful. You've been so independent. I haven't had to check in on you so regularly. Why don't you just do yourself a favor and end things before it gets too far and all this progress you've made goes straight down the toilet."

"It isn't quite as simple as that. I've spent so much time with her that it's become part of my routine and something that I look forward to. Taking that away so abruptly, well, it would be difficult."

"Sure, ending friendships are always that way, but it won't be as bad as it could be. A brief discomfort versus a complete meltdown. I think you know what the obvious choice is. Can you really be _this_ shortsighted to make a decision based on how you feel right now?"

"I understand what you're saying and I can't deny that it makes perfect sense and that you've given me a good solution, but I simply cannot go through with it."

"I swear, you're worse than a child. You just do things just because it makes you feel good, to hell with the consequences. To hell with me who's always the one who has to pick up the pieces."

"I'll try not to put you in that position again. Should something like that happen, you shouldn't take it upon yourself to fix things. That's what hospitals are for."

"So they can take you away? So we can just be separated and you stay locked up in some facility? I won't let that happen. I won't be responsible for that."

"You're an adult now, Aster, and you have been for a long time. It wouldn't be the end of the world. When you were a child, I took no chances whatsoever and made sure I was always there for you. But that time has long passed even if you want to pretend it hasn't. It can't always be like this. This stagnation that we seem to be in, it shouldn't continue indefinitely, it isn't healthy. That's why I'm taking a chance like this. I hold out hope that it won't end the way you say and even if it does, I don't think it would have been a wasted experience. What's the point of living if I've trapped myself in a box? Always being afraid of what might happen is almost as stressful as having the worst actually happen. Anyone could come up with dozens of ways of how it could all go wrong, but then experience nothing of substance for the entirety of their life. I don't plan on not being able to handle things as they come. I hope that I'm strong enough to adjust and change, but I won't ever know for sure unless I try."

"I've heard this talk before," Aster said with crossed arms. "It always ends the same. It's cyclical at this point. You should just be content with how things are instead of doing this song and dance over and over again. I've said this a few times before, but I'll say it again: You're not capable of adjusting to things that are too far out your comfort zone. You're not like other people and you never will be and you don't have to be. Who says you _need_ to make friends in order to be happy? Who says a life full of routine and sameness isn't a life worth living? Who says pain is the only indicator that you're doing things the right way?"

Her father sighed at this. "I don't know." His voice had gotten smaller and more unsure.

"I'm telling you right now and all you have to do is listen."

She hated seeing her father so uncertain and she knew she wasn't helping matters in that regard. She wasn't simply telling him to go for it. She couldn't do it. This was something that he desperately needed to hear even if it sounded harsh. It was for his own good. The alternative was far worse, and she couldn't really help him if it came to that.

"I'll…be late for my appointment if I stay here much longer," he said after a very long pause. He'd been thinking. She wasn't sure if he'd come to any good conclusions.

"Well," she said stepping away from him, "I hope your session goes well. Maybe you should discuss this with her. She might wound up saying the same thing."

He was already standing up. "Probably not."

"That's because she's just some stuffy therapist and I'm the only one who really cares about you."

He moved towards the entrance of the room past her. "I'll see you when I see you then," he said with a voice heavy in weariness.

Aster frowned at this. "I'll be here tonight."

"You'll be at the Brief's residence today, I'm sure. Have fun. If you decide to stay the night there, it wouldn't bother me in the least. The important thing is that you're doing what you like to do. There's no set schedule you have to adhere to."

"But you'd like that, wouldn't you? You like set routines."

"I like that you're going out somewhere and don't feel the need to stay here all the time. Text me if you need me, other than that I'm not overly concerned what you do."

Aster watched the other leave with a frown that hadn't left her face. He was being so nonchalant these days. He used to demand that she tell him exactly what she's doing each day and she used to spend almost all her time with him when not at work. She wasn't altogether sure what this was or why he was being this way, but she didn't particularly like it. She told herself that at least. Yet his lack of intense concern for her whereabouts made her less concerned about it as well. She hated how easily she'd fallen into just doing things and going places she wanted without letting him know. She needed to keep a close eye on him, but he didn't seem to care either way. He never called her wanting her to be around like he used to. Before she knew it, she'd spend days without ever seeing or talking to him. What did this mean? Were they simply drifting apart? She couldn't leave her father alone—that would be dangerous now even more so since it seemed he was trying to use Pan to replace her, a completely unknown woman.

She didn't like any of it and she wanted it all to return to normal. Even so, her thoughts returned to Jensen as it often did, obsessively occupied with him. He would often steal away her attention from all other things even her father and it was something she didn't much have control over.

* * *

Music flowed through the room. Bra had turned on one of Malachi's more exciting playlists of club bangers from the past and soon she and Pan were dancing about the ample floorspace in the room. Neither one of them were all that good at dancing, but that didn't matter—enjoying themselves was more important. It emboldened them as they saw each other just as clumsy and not quite on rhythm. It helped that they knew the words to all the songs. Pan wasn't keeping up with the time so she couldn't tell just how long they were fooling around, but they did get through quite a bit of songs before settling down again. They'd thoroughly tired each other out.

They laid sprawled out on the soft carpeted floor, heaving as they tried to catch their breaths. Strangely enough, she felt worn out as if she'd just gone through an intense workout. It hadn't seemed so strenuous until she was able to feel the full extent. She'd worked muscles she hadn't known was there—or to be more accurate, muscles she normally didn't pay much attention to. She might have landed on her feet wrong a few times, but it was all in good fun and she felt the best while relaxing after doing something that physically stimulated her.

"Can you imagine doing an entire concert like this, but with way more precision and skill?" Bra asked.

"Harder than it looks," Pan replied between breaths.

"Then everyone's eyes are on you. You have to do it perfect or else people will tear you to shreds. I've seen celebrities decimated in the news for bad lip-syncing," Bra said.

"Yeah, but Malachi never lip-synced."

"So people like to claim, but he definitely did that. Not the entire time, but moments when it became too much of a strain to get the notes out while doing routines that were getting increasingly complex."

"Seriously? Am I getting the inside scoop?"

"If you do it well enough, no one really notices. I think everybody lip-syncs at some point, but we only notice when it's done badly."

"You know what probably helps though? The fact that it's hard to tell his recorded voice from his live voice. It sounds almost exactly the same."

"He didn't really embellish the sound of his voice in the studio. I was pretty surprised too. I thought to myself: no one sounds that perfect in real life. He's sang in front of me enough times to know that it does. It's a little uncanny. If you listen closely though, really closely, you can hear the difference. I think that's just because my hearing is far superior to most and I bet _he_ can't even hear that."

"Lucky you, getting front seat live performances for free at a moment's notice," Pan said with a laugh.

"More like reluctant performances. I would shamefully badger him until I got what I wanted."

"Bra!" Pan said exasperatedly though still in good spirits. "You're ruthless."

"Oh, he could handle it. I never did that when he was actually tired just when he was being pissy. That was really the best way to get him out of that kind of mood."

"That's the thing that always makes him happy. When I was trying to cheer him up, I knew I had to involve music somehow," Pan said.

"I wasn't _always_ badgering him though. There were times if he was in a good mood that I wouldn't have to do all that. Sometimes, he'd sing all through the house and he always sang to Machi because she absolutely loved it and often wouldn't go to sleep without it."

"Imagining him doing those things—it gives me a warm feeling."

Just then, Pan's phone beeped—she'd gotten a text message. After she pulled it out of her pocket, she knew it had been from Auden. It brought a smile to her face. That there was someone else out there thinking about her felt incredibly satisfying. All in the same moment, she felt utterly guilty and confused. She was here with Bra enjoying herself and they'd done things that two "friends" probably shouldn't. Yet she still felt at ease with her as if nothing had changed. But something had. Every minute she didn't say something to Auden even if it hadn't been that long since it happened, she felt guilty. She read the text message: _Hope you've been enjoying your time off from work. How are you doing?_

"Who's that?" Bra asked startling the other.

"Oh, nobody. Just somebody from work—you wouldn't know them," Pan said struggling to find the right words.

"It's Auden, isn't it?" Bra, as usual, was able to see right through her.

Pan sighed. She really didn't feel like trying to hide things. It never ended well anyways. Besides, she'd never actually done that to Bra before. "It's him. He just…wanted to know how I was doing."

"That's sweet. He's concerned about you. What are you going to tell him?"

"The truth."

"Over a text?"

"You're right, I should call him."

Pan heard the other move. She looked up as she watched Bra crawl towards her until she was right over top of her—Pan didn't do anything to stop her. She found herself gazing up into her mesmerizing eyes.

"What exactly _is_ the truth?" Bra asked curiously.

"I...don't know," Pan said uncertain.

Bra lowered herself a little until she was able to press her lips against hers and Pan responded instinctually. It felt nice. It felt like it was meant to happen. They continued for a while until Bra pulled herself away and then laid down beside her.

"You're not making this very easy," Pan said.

Bra giggled at this. "Maybe you'll figure it all out eventually. In the meantime—I'm super _bored_. Kinda tired of staying in this room all the time."

Pan sighed at this. Despite everything Bra had been through, despite locking herself away from the world for months, she appeared so carefree now and she didn't want to ruin her mood. "Well, there's the technology festival going on—

"Oh yeah, it's sponsored by Capsule Corp. I haven't been to that since I was a kid."

"I've never gone. Didn't want to go by myself and every time I brought it up when we were younger you and Marron never wanted to go."

"Aww, I'm sorry, I had no idea! That means we _definitely_ have to go," Bra said with a grin.

"Crazy that your mom's company is big enough to have their own festival."

"Mom has enough money to buy the entire world," Bra laughed. "Old news, really."

"Yeah, it always made me feel a bit awkward to know someone with that kind of wealth."

Bra sat up then. "Alright then—let's go before we talk ourselves out of it."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Bra was practically pulling Pan along with excitement after they finally found a decent place to park a mile away. Pan had forgotten just how big the festival was. It stretched over several blocks and people from all over went to it. Of course, there was food and drink and her sharp senses could already smell the funnel cakes and fried food in the air. It was intoxicating.

She still hadn't texted Auden back, but buried her sentiments in the back of her mind for the time being.

"I have no idea the events they're having. Maybe we should've looked it up first," Pan said as she began to see booths and throngs of people passing, feeling a bit intimidated.

"Well, we're here! We can just explore—pretend it's an adventure. Or," she began with a sigh, "You can just look it up on your phone."

"Alright, I hear ya, loud and clear, Bra. Let's explore."

"Okay, first off, we have to eat something from every food stall."

"Even if they're selling the same thing?"

"Even if they're selling the same thing," she confirmed with a grin.

"Well, that's easy—I doubt there's even enough here to even pose a challenge."

"We'll see," she said chuckling. "You'll be surprised though. CC keeps making this thing bigger and better each year."

"When's the last time you went?" I asked.

"When I was really young and Mom dragged me out here. Then when I complained enough about it, they stopped forcing me to go. I thought it was just for kids and all that—Yeah, I was a brat back then. Now it just seems silly. I think it's a great way to spend the day. Can't you feel the good vibes in the air? Maybe I was too young to notice before."

"We get older and smarter as they say," Pan replied looking now at the upcoming food stall. It reminded her of the fact that she'd not eaten very much that day and it was nearing dinner time.

Bra insisted on paying once they went to make an order despite Pan's protests.

"Girl, you know it's nothing for me to pay. Just save your money. Seriously, Mom is so unbelievably wealthy that I feel bad for everyone else."

Pan snorted at this, "Thanks for the sympathy, but I'm not _that_ broke down."

"It's not a shot at you at all, it's just a criticism about society in general. No one person is worth as much wealth as Mom has managed to accumulate, but she has it all the same. It's shitty to think about."

"Woh, woh, slow down, princess. I barely know who I'm talking to right now."

They were waiting now for the food to be made after Bra bogarted the stand when it came time to pay. Pan decided to simply let it be since Bra felt so strongly about it.

"Well, it's just, I know Mom and everyone has saved the world several times over from all these alien invaders, but have we really helped the people on this planet?"

"CC's technology advances have helped people, I'm sure, as far as convenience goes."

"Sure, so long as you can afford it. CC has pretty much monopolized on their inventions and gotten things patented so they can rack up the prices as high as they want with little to no real competition."

"It's always been that way," Pan said with a shrug.

" _Should_ it be that way?"

"I don't know."

"It really shouldn't be—that's the correct answer," Bra said crossing her arms. "But it's like you said, it's always been like that. The more power these sorts of corporations have, the harder it is for new businesses to even begin to be competitive." She sighed at this. "Just things I've been thinking about."

"About politics?"

"About making a better future for everyone, my kids, really. I think about how I was raised. I don't want them to grow up like that. I mean, just look at me: spoiled, completely clueless all the time, an idiot who doesn't contribute to society—

"Bra…"

"It's true. Don't try to soften it. What if the world is at peace? What do we do in the meantime? We should be making this world better, right? Isn't that what the Z-fighters do?"

Pan laughed at this. "I don't know what we do. I don't even know if I'm actually part of the group—I just kind of assume I am and insert myself into situations."

Just then, the man who had been cooking the food presented them two separate paper trays of hotdogs and fries. Pan was ready to inhale the food but restrained herself until they found a place to sit. She was finished in a matter of minutes as Bra daintily ate her fries.

Bra seemed amused at her antics. "Yeah, you're not going to have a problem with these stalls, huh?"

"Honestly, it's more of a challenge eating just one thing. But it's a big place. Hurry up and finish already," Pan replied with a grin.

In the distance, Pan could see two different Ferris Wheels, one bigger than the other. When she was a small child, she remembered feeling somewhat curious about the large contraption, but after one trip, she'd found it to be slow and constricting. Flying through the open air was far more exhilarating. Still, building something tangible that could take anyone up into the air was a staggering feat and it didn't require any sort of training to enjoy. She intuitively knew how fun that might be to a human who'd never done anything like that before. She imagined Bra had wrote it off immediately back then.

"Yeah, it goes 200 meters in the air—the biggest Ferris Wheel in the world," Bra said noticing where Pan was looking, "And it's portable thanks to CC technology. Even so, I could care less when I was younger. Daddy could always take me higher with far less hassle."

"I knew it."

She shook her head. "My brother liked it though, but he was more fascinated by the mechanisms behind it rather than the experience itself."

"Trunks—always the closet nerd."

"Not so closet anymore these days. And he's been training more. Well, actually, ever since the funeral."

"Any reason for that?" Pan asked.

Bra was finishing off her hotdog and took a moment to answer. "He says he doesn't want to be shown up by Malachi again once he returns."

Pan sighed at this. "The longer he's gone, the more foolhardy it sounds."

"Mom's working on it and I've never seen her not pull something off."

"Couldn't Dende help us? I mean, I know he doesn't know where New Namek is, but can't he just communicate with people up in Otherworld who know where it is?"

"He probably could, but he's not helping us. Mom told me that he refused. His position is that since the Dragon Balls are gone, no one should be revived, and no one should receive special treatment—it goes against the natural order. The entire debacle with Omega Shenron was because we misused the Dragon Balls and to ensure nothing like that happens again, he's taken a principled stance on that and nothing we do can change his mind—my dad's already talked to him plenty of times."

"Just talk? That's a lot of restraint for him."

"I said the same thing," Bra laughed, "But he always pretends he has no idea what I mean by that."

"My dad told me a great deal about him," Pan said. "I know he wouldn't lie about it, but the Vegeta I've known just doesn't seem like the one he's talking about."

"It's so weird, right? I know my dad can be a bit rough around the edges, but psychopathic murderer doesn't seem to fit."

"Well, just in case, I won't be the person pushing any of his buttons."

"Please, just tell him we're dating, and he won't ever lay a finger on you."

"Oh, are we dating?" Pan asked a little surprised.

"If someone forced me to put a label on it, sure." Bra said with a shrug. "Hope that doesn't scare you."

"It should…"

Bra almost rolled her eyes as she shook her head only a little annoyed. "Let's go, I've finished my food, and we still have a ton of things to see."

Pan dropped the topic as it was making her feel a bit uncomfortable. She wished things were more cut-and-dry between her and Auden. She wished she knew what she was doing with Bra and why she was entertaining it. Then she didn't feel like thinking about anymore. There was still the unanswered text from Auden…

A fire juggler caught their eyes just as a captivated audience began forming around him. He twirled fiery batons into the air casually around himself over and over again. He was a lean, muscular man and clearly a daredevil.

"This will look even better when it gets darker," Pan commented with mild interest.

"I bet you could do this with your ki."

"Sure, but it wouldn't be as cool as this since it's pretty difficult to hurt yourself with your own energy and if I did, it wouldn't be that bad."

"Yeah, that's true."

"It takes a lot more courage to do what he's doing. Despite the danger, he's still confident."

"And he probably had to train a lot for it."

Pan nodded at this.

They watched for a bit longer before moving on and browsed at the nearby shop selling sculptured flowers.

"You know, he's the kind of person Dad wouldn't mind training," Bra said as her hand traced the outlined of a bonsai tree. "Back at Tien's dojo, that's all he's been doing."

"Really?"

"The Earth needs more defenders and it's been that way for too long, so he says, and I think he's right."

"Maybe I should do a class," Pan said with a mischievous glint. A white marble rose had caught her eye; she examined it further. The price was ridiculous—it wouldn't be a festival if that wasn't the case.

"If you wanna pick a fight with him, all you have to do is ask," Bra chuckled as she stepped closer to Pan's location. "I doubt those classes would help _you_ much, but _me_ on the other hand…"

"I'm sure he'd be over the moon, if you do that and give you personal lessons."

"I don't know if I would survive that. I think I'd enjoy a class setting better," Bra said thoughtfully.

"If Malachi can do it…" Pan began.

"He's different—he's a glutton for punishment, I am not."

"I'm sure he'd readjust the difficulty based on your skill."

"Sure, sure, but, I don't know, I've always been scared of one-on-one training like that. It would take the pressure off me and plus it's be interesting to see how other humans are taking his training."

"You talk like you're actually going to do it and we all know you're not."

"A girl can dream though. It's the thought that counts?"

"Not sure that works there."

"Oh shut-up—let's get to this next food stall already, I can already smell the fried fish."

They'd barely looked through all the flowers before jolting off to something else that struck their fancy. Though the sights were entertaining, it very quickly became more about how many food stalls they could find and eat at. Bra was paying for everything and Pan was quickly drawn to seafood options as well as interesting drinks. Along the way, CC was showcasing their products ever few steps along with their bright, glossy advertisements. Pan noticed that they were really making an effort to improve their cell phones. While she was impressed with the progress they made, she thought immediately of Auden. His phone, though lacking in the bells and whistles, seemed far more advance. What if his brand entered the marketplace? Would it take off?

For now, she was enjoying a perfectly fried catfish with more fries along with a large cold cup of grape limeade. It was a nice snack between snacks.

"The first place selling mac and cheese, I'm getting two orders of it," Pan said polishing off her plate.

"I _really_ want some grilled asparagus or grilled brussel sprouts," Bra said dreamily as she cut into her strawberry cheesecake.

"Those too," Pan agreed. "Bacon-wrapped brussel sprouts."

"Bacon-wrapped asparagus."

They both laughed at this.

"Isn't that way too sophisticated for a festival?" Pan asked thoughtfully.

"Not this one. We'll find every food imaginable here, Mom said so."

"Then we'll definitely find some scallops soon too, right?"

"Yep," Bra said with a smile. "I like how this has become a food tour."

"On that note, let's go, we have a ton more to get through."

In fact, they'd only seen about a fourth of the booths, exhibits, shops and attractions. The sun was almost fully set and it felt like only a few moments had passed. Surprisingly, no one recognized Bra. Everyone seemed far more focused on enjoying themselves. There was live music as well which Pan had heard in the distance long ago. They stopped for a while to listen to the local band that neither of them knew, but they did do an interesting rock version of an old Malachi hit. Pan couldn't decide if she liked it or not, but it was nice hearing it live. There was more than one live stage, but Pan didn't think they'd make it to the big one that was much further in.

"Ice cream," Bra shouted at once when she saw the vendor. It was the latest food item they were on the prowl for.

Though ice cream wasn't her favorite, Pan was amused by how jazzed Bra was at the mere sight of it. Pan got her very safe vanilla ice cream and Bra got her rocky road.

"Want to try some of mine and live a little?" Bra teased as they walked a little ways from the vendor where there was some space for them to breath from all the people lollygagging.

"Only if you try mine," Pan said though it was hardly a threat considering the flavor.

Bra stepped a little closer. "Fine, just try mine though, you won't be disappointed."

She brought the chocolate ice cream to Pan's lips politely turning it towards the part that she hadn't eaten. The burst of sweetness that erupted in Pan's mouth was startling along with the bits of savory nuts. Bra pulled it away before Pan could take another bite.

"See?" Bra said knowing that Pan clearly liked it.

"It has it's moments."

Bra snorted at this. "You can always go back and get it if you want it. I know I've converted you."

"Not a chance. You still haven't tried the vanilla."

"I've tried vanilla," Bra said rolling her eyes, but soon she's taking a hefty chunk of the vanilla ice cream on the cone, trying to hold back her giggles.

"Hey!"

Bra finished what was in her mouth quickly with a triumphant grin, but before Pan knew it, Bra had leaned forth and enveloped her lips with lingering vanilla sweetness. Suddenly, Pan became more interested in tasting her instead. It was so spur of the moment, that Pan could hardly stop herself from smiling which drew one from Bra as well. Bra licked her ice cream a couple times before returning to her lips so that they could further exchange tastes.

"Pan?!" came a familiar voice a few yards away.

A jolt of fear went through Pan as she quickly pulled away from her. Bra was equally surprised. When Pan looked over, she confirmed that it was her mom. Now all she needed was for her dad to come strolling in.

"Mom? What are you _doing_ here?" Pan asked.

"What am _I_ doing here? It's a free public area," she argued back, still with surprise in her tone.

"Is Dad with you?"

"Not this time, thank God."

Bra's eyebrows furrowed at this. "Nice to meet you too. Hope you're enjoying yourself at the festival."

Videl gave her a sympathetic look. "It's always nice. CC always outdoes itself. Honey, I need to talk to my daughter alone—would you mind?"

"Actually, I _would_ mind," Bra said with crossed arms.

Pan noticed the growing tension and knew she had to do something quick. Yet it warmed her seeing how defensive she'd become by what seemed like her mom disapproving. How attached to her did she feel already? Better yet, how close did Pan already feel towards Bra?

Pan turned to Bra drawing her attention. "It's alright," Pan said in quiet tones, "It's probably some misunderstanding. And it's my mom so I really don't have a choice. Just let me talk to her. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Don't take long," Bra said haughtily.

Pan gave her a thumbs up though it did little to alleviate Bra's concern when she went forward with her mom. Pan had thought they'd walk a few more paces away, but her mom apparently wanted complete secrecy as they disappeared into the crowd and turned a corner. She couldn't even see Bra anymore. Pan couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Had she done something terribly wrong?

"Look," her mom said after looking around a bit to make sure no one of consequence was looking, "I'm glad Bra is finally out of the house. After what happened, we were all worried about her, but what the hell?"

"What do you mean, 'what the hell'?" Pan asked confused.

"With her?" her mom questioned further. "We all know that she had something to do with Malachi's death—

"Mom!" Pan said cutting across her. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"It's true. He was fine before he met Bra and then we all watched as she tore that poor man down until there was nothing left. And the Briefs family—they all just watched it happen. Look at me right now and tell me Bra had nothing to do with his death."

Pan looked at her stonily but realized that she couldn't say it. Mom knew that she wasn't good at lying. "She didn't mean to," she said finally.

"Sure, I'll give her that, but she did it all the same. We all saw him in the hospital. He couldn't even breathe on his own without help. For someone so young, it was really startling to see. She's careless. If you were in my shoes, would you really _not_ be concerned about your only daughter dating someone like that?"

"I'm pretty strong, Mom. You know that."

"So was Malachi or do you think he was weak?"

"Well, no…"

"None of that matters anyway. You'll have your guard down around her. That girl can get away with murder and face no consequences. We may be civil with the Briefs all the time, but make no mistake, they hold a lot of power of us and everyone around them. They're really nice, don't get me wrong, but you _have_ to be careful."

"Alright, Mom, I get it, but I don't blame her about Malachi. It's not like he didn't contribute to his own demise." It pained Pan even to say it, she had to take some of the heat off Bra.

"We all have our demons. I'm sure Bra didn't help him at all in those regards. But enough about that—are you two actually dating?"

"Well…I don't know."

"What about Auden?"

"Mom, it's complicated. You always want to talk about who I'm seeing all the time and I mentioned Auden, but it's not like we were _dating_ dating."

Videl shook her head at this. "I didn't like Auden either, but he's far better than Bra."

"You don't hold back, do you?"

"Only because I care about you and you have me worried everyday the way you live by yourself far away from home. I have to call you or else I won't ever hear from you. Then I have to draw my own conclusions."

"I'm sorry about that, but I had leave home. It was too much for me to stay home all the time. I wanted my own space. And the way you're interrogating me right now—I definitely don't regret my decision."

The hurt on her face almost made Pan regret saying her last sentence, but she wasn't going to bite her tongue after she'd attacked Bra.

Videl sighed at this. "I'm sorry, I really am, honey. Maybe this wasn't the best way to meet each other and maybe I should have just walked by when I saw you, but I just couldn't. I'm worried and I had to let you know. But I guess this is the perfect time to tell you that your father's birthday is coming up. It'd be nice if you showed up to celebrate."

"I'll think about it."

"C'mon, honey. I know you don't like _me_ all that much, but I thought you had a decent relationship with your dad."

"I guess we're fine. We're just not interested in the same things anymore. You guys are really great with doing nothing when the world is falling apart."

"Here we go again," Videl said shaking her head. "What do you expect us to do? I've stepped back from martial arts and your father wants to focus more on just living a normal life. That's all we've ever wanted really."

"But at what cost?"

"No one's stopping you from pursuing your dreams, Pan. Please don't force us to do that."

Pan looked away at this. "I'll come over for his birthday."

"You can bring friends, if you want, even Bra. I don't think your dad would mind."

"Of course he wouldn't," Pan said with a sigh. "I'm guessing Grandma is coming too, right."

"And her father. Probably won't be a lot of people."

"Bet she'll be doing the cooking too."

"As always," her mom said with a smile. "Can't stop her once she starts."

"She keeps forgetting it's just us eating."

Her mom's smile faded a little. "More leftovers for us then."

"I'll see if I can get Goten," Pan volunteered.

"Don't bother, he already said he'll be busy. He sends his regards though."

"Again?"

"Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black? He visits way more than you do. It's no big deal, really."

"I'll try to call you more often, alright? I know I've been failing as of late, but you know I haven't been in the mood for awhile now. I think I'm getting better; you don't have to worry about me."

"I'll worry about you regardless and I'd much prefer to see you in person. You can still fly, can't you?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Alright then," she said smiling. "I don't want to bother you too long. Have a good evening and _please_ stay safe."

"I will, Mom."

Pan hesitated for a moment, but then hugged her mom before parting ways. She watched as her mom disappeared into the lessening crowds. Her mom's warnings had not fallen on deaf ears, but her mom didn't know what Pan did about Bra. It wasn't as if Bra didn't blame herself. She seemed different these days, more thoughtful and reflective. Pan had never felt endangered while around her. Malachi had been different, but saying that because he was human, he had a clear disadvantage didn't sit right with her. She knew it was because him being human should not have mattered. As much as he accommodated her, Bra should have accommodated him if they were in such a caring relationship. Pan didn't want to think along those lines too long.

Her phone beeped startling her out of her ruminations. It was Auden again—only the second text he'd sent after leaving him hanging for hours. _I hate to bother you, but are you doing, alright?_ Her hands wrapped around her phone a little tighter wishing he would stop being so concerned and so nice. She'd _wanted_ to start things with him so this should have been fine. Tiring of leaving her dilemmas on the backburner, she tapped his number and pulled the phone to her face. Maybe this was a good time to call or a bad time but allowing this to go any further probably wouldn't be good for her health and would likely ruin a perfectly nice day at the festival.

"Hello, Pan," he answered pleasantly. There was far more emotion there than usual which immediately bothered her.

"Hi. Sorry for not replying in so long. I was a little busy."

"I figured," he said simply with understanding. "How has your day been?"

Pan could hear a sizzling pan in the background coming through the phone. Whatever it was, was making her mouth water despite her food-filled day at the festival. "You're cooking?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Yes, weird I know, but I thought I might try it out again after so long. It's just me who have to suffer through the end results anyway."

"Whatsa cooking?"

"I'm attempting fried rice."

"Good luck."

"Even following a recipe, it could all turn out bad. I've never found a perfect recipe out there that didn't need some tweaking and I've yet to stray from the recipe so I _know_ I'm doing something wrong."

"Why don't you just let your phone do it?—It can do everything else."

"Cute," he said with a chuckle.

Pan nearly dropped the phone. Was that a laugh just then? Was he capable of doing that? Wait, that's a silly question. Of course he could do that. Still her cheeks were already burning as a result. _She_ was capable of making him laugh?

"You still there?" he asked concerned when she was quiet for too long.

"Oh, yeah, fine. I—well, I hope you end up with something decent. There's a reason I called though," Pan said knowing that she shouldn't drag this out too long. "I've been a little confused about 'us', about where we stand with each other."

He was quiet for a moment. "I wasn't aware."

Pan wondered if that was a fact or not. "I just wanted to know: do you consider us friends or more than that or do you even want more than that?"

"We're friends, right?" he asked uncertainly, "Or is that too strong a word? I'm sorry for being such a bother with my texting—I'm just rather new to this. I've not had many friends or acquaintances. We can just be acquaintances, if you like—

"Wait, no, I'm not upset or anything. You didn't do anything wrong. You've been perfect."

Auden snorted at this. "Now 'perfect' definitely doesn't sound right. I know I'm difficult to by around."

"I love hanging out with you."

"I would say the same about you."

Her cheeks were burning even brighter now. "I just want to know if that's all we are to each other. We're just friends?"

"Just friends," he confirmed confidently.

"A-Are you sure about that? You don't want something more?"

"Pan…" he began slowly.

She heard the distress clearly in his tone and the way he'd said her name didn't help her blushing fit.

"Though it's true that I'm perfectly single and you happen to be as well, I don't think it would be a good idea for us to pursue anything deeper than that. I enjoy the time we spend together, but I would feel uncomfortable being with someone so…young."

"Seriously?" Pan said with her voice becoming hoarse as her eyes began to moisten. "Have you never—I mean, you never saw me like that? I'm just a little girl to you?"

"No, not a _little_ girl—

"So you just led me on?"

"I didn't mean to, if that was the case. I really like you as a friend—and that's really important to me. I don't know how to explain it or have it make anymore sense, but it's _very_ important. I would never imagine that you would ever see me in the way that you're suggesting. It seems so left field."

"You're friend-zoning me," Pan stated. Her voice was shaking now as one tear and then another rolled down.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked cautiously.

Pan could barely get her mouth to move. "Y-Yes!" Then the torrent of tears came as she could hardly keep it together. She was already being pathetic in front of someone she'd had a crush on since the very beginning. It was much too late. She was probably just some immature little girl to him.

"Pan, are you alright?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry—are you crying?" he asked in shock and worry, but Pan couldn't take his pity and ended the call so that she could cry in peace. She ignored her phone as it began to vibrate over and over again.

She'd expected having to talk him off a ledge after telling him that she wanted to break ties with him because she was seeing someone else, but she'd read the entire situation wrong. Her feelings had been painfully one-sided and she hadn't even noticed! All this stressing out about what he would think of this had been pointless. He'd never once had a crush on her. He'd flirted with her at the restaurant, but apparently not because he was trying to woo her. Maybe he'd simply thought it was funny and she hadn't completely grasped his sense of humor. She'd been taking him too seriously this whole time, seeing signs when there were none. He was just a really nice guy hoping to make a new friend and that was all. It was a difficult pill to swallow. She felt incredibly silly and incredibly empty.

"Pan? What the hell? I let you out of my sight for a few minutes and you're balling your eyes out in the middle of the street?"

It was Bra and Pan was relieved to hear her voice. Bra came to stand in front of her and pulled her into an embrace. She ran a soothing hand down her back.

"It's okay. Whatever it is, it'll be alright. We'll figure it out."

"I'm so stupid."

"No, you're not. Only I'm allowed to say that about myself."

"But it's just true this time."

She cried into her chest for a few minutes until Bra pulled away taking up one of Pan's hand in the process. "C'mon, let's not stand around. Let's keep walking, alright?"

Pan nodded though still sniffling. Bra was quiet as the soft thrum of conversation occurring around them from the thinning crowd filled the air. The sound of live instruments being expertly played floated through the streets along with the soft pattering of a thousand feet. It was the smell of grilled food that eventually calmed her along with the time needed to think about something other than the conversation she'd had with Auden.

"Want to go home?" Bra asked after a while.

"We didn't even get the chance to the see the main attraction."

"Their top new invention this year? I think it was a new vacuum cleaner—nothing too crazy."

"What about the fireworks?" Pan asked just in case. She didn't want to agree to leave if Bra wanted to stay.

Bra shrugged. "Seen it before. Think I've spent enough time outdoors." She smiled at me. "Let's grab as much food as we can and go back into hiding."

The mention of food perked both of them up as they started making their way back to the car. It took them half an hour to do so. Pan was glad when they were back out on the road again. They'd taken a car to get there and Pan was grateful that she didn't have the muster up the will to fly.

Once back at Malachi's place, Bra randomly suggested they watch a movie and then Pan demanded that it be an action movie. Instead of using the bed, they stayed on the floor and spread out all the food before them. There were a lot of movies to choose from and Pan was fine with Bra picking the cheesiest action flick she could find.

It was the perfect ending to the day as far as Pan was concerned. Bra fell asleep midway through the movie which was just as well. Bra was cuddled up against her with her head buried in her breasts. It must have been a while since Bra had had so much activity in one day. Pan wrapped an arm protectively around her and then began running her hand through her soft, silky hair. She'd never done such a thing before, but her hair was simply heavenly. Of course, Bra had the best hair—she'd admired her blue locks at a distance for all her life. Her musings were interrupted by her vibrating phone. She let it go without checking not wanting to deal with anyone other than Bra. In fact, she flicked off the television so that she could be in complete silence.

But her phone just wouldn't stop just like before. It carried on for much longer though. She thought of just turning it off, but her curiosity won out and she read the caller ID: "unknown". That piqued her interest as her eyebrows furrowed. A slight shiver of fear went down her back. She lifted the phone to her ear after finally accepting the call.

"Hello?" Pan asked.

"Pan?" came a little girl's voice much to Pan's surprise.

"Who wants to know?"

"It's just me: Aster." The voice already sounded irate.

"Oh," Pan said confused. "How did you get my—

"Stupid question," Aster said cutting her off. "It should be obvious. Anyway, I need you to talk to my dad."

"I don't really feel like—

"Tough. He says he's fine, but he's _not_ fine. I don't know what the hell happened between you and him, but you need to fix it now."

"Aster, this is between me and him, alright?"

"Oh that's rich coming from you. You drag him into some weird little relationship with you because you're feeling lonely and then once you're done, you kick him to the curb. I know people don't really care about him so it's easy for people to do. It doesn't surprise me that you're just the same. I'm always the one to pick up the pieces once everything's all said in done. Here is me asking you to consider someone else's feelings over your own."

"You're making a lot of assumptions right now—

"I know my dad couldn't have done anything wrong and you're probably just being a brat. You've gotten to know him somewhat, haven't you? I'm sure you've noticed that he's not quite like everyone else. He can't just get over things easily like everyone else. He goes to a therapist every other day just to function somewhat normally and takes a ton of medication."

"Yeah, I know," Pan said closing her eyes.

"Okay, then. Don't ever leave him hanging like that. Don't ever make him worry about you. How dare you make him waste his precious energy on something that's probably your fault and your misunderstanding. Talk to him, please."

"You could try being nicer and not acting like he's some kind of child who needs protecting," Pan argued.

"Screw your rules and your morals. No one will be there when he fails and no one will care. None of that 'being nicer' crap matters when he becomes totally unreachable and no one can talk to him. I'm telling you what you need to do now to avoid all of that."

Pan's eyebrows furrowed. "You're frustrating to talk to. Just put me on the phone with him. I doubt it's as serious as you're making it, but I care about him too, okay?"

Aster didn't even bother responding as Pan listened to her bounding feet through the apartment. Pan didn't really know what to think. Somehow, she'd forgotten how Auden might have taken her hanging up like that. It had all been too much at the time. Perhaps it _was_ better that they were simply friends and nothing more. Having to worry about his state of mind was just beginning to become a little tiring. Maybe she'd finally taken off her rose-colored glasses. He was a much older man with a lot of baggage. As close as they were, he hadn't even begun to disclose to her what that baggage might be. It made more sense now why he was always reminding her how terrible he was around people and that it's okay if she didn't want to spend so much time with him. He saw reality clearer than she did apparently.

"Daddy, it's Pan," Aster declared. There was no response for a while and that worried Pan a little especially when Aster had to repeat herself.

"Did you actually call her?" Pan heard Auden's voice as clear as day over the phone. "Why would you do that? I told you not to bother her."

"She called me," Aster lied.

"How naïve do you think I am?"

"Seriously, she's on the line and she can hear all this. You better take it."

"I suppose I have to then."

Pan noticed the total lack of emotion in his tone—the very same tone she'd heard on the first day they'd met. She hadn't noticed until now, but for some time he'd seemed to be putting more effort into revealing what he was feeling through outward cues. The difference now was stark.

"Hello, is this Pan?" he asked to her. His voice was closer, he'd taken the phone from Aster apparently.

"Yep, the one and only." Why was she sounding so perky all of a sudden? Was it to drown out his chilling apathy?

"I'm sorry that my brash daughter has been bothering you. Please disregard this call."

"Wait," Pan said quickly. It felt as if he was about to hang up. "It's alright. Maybe it's a good thing she called me. I've cooled off since before. I'm sorry things just blew up."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Pan paused at this sentiment. "No, no there's nothing wrong, alright? It was just a misunderstanding. I was being foolish. I was assuming things."

"I don't see you as foolish. Clearly, there were some actions I took to lead you to that conclusion. I'm not the greatest with making friends. I thought it would be a good idea to keep your interest so that you didn't simply grow bored of me. I might have gone too far in those regards. I'm really sor—

"Please stop apologizing," Pan said more forcefully.

"That's the only thing I can think to do."

"I'm sorry for being selfish—

"Pan—

"Let me finish. I wanted to let you know that I was seeing someone else, so I called you because I was feeling guilty about it. I didn't expect you to say that we were just friends and that you weren't pining after me the way I was you. It was a huge blow to my ego—apparently, I have that. It's actually a good thing that we're just friends. It makes things far less complicated."

"Ah, I see. I didn't respond as you thought I should. Would it make you feel better, if I'd told you that I _did_ see you as more than a friend?"

"Well…"

"You're a very special person, Pan. You don't need me holding you back or to validate you. I've always been perplexed as to why you would give me the time of day. For what it's worth, I think you're beautiful, intelligent, priceless and one who should rightfully have a huge ego and wonder why all guys don't just fall for you by simply looking your way."

"Auden!" Pan said in a loud whisper so as not to wake up Bra. She was burning hot red again.

"I don't want you to think that there's something wrong with you just because I don't see you that way. I'm just at a different point in my life than you are. You want things that I simply cannot give."

"I get it," Pan said with a nod. She laid back on the ground. "It would be nice just to be friends to just be like we are right now. We can tell each other anything, no strings attached."

"That sounds nice."

Despite him saying it, his tone certainly didn't express the same thing. Pan wondered just how much damage she'd done to him. She doubted he'd be willing to let her in on that. It was one of those topics Pan could tell he hated talking to her about. It could be a pride thing or it could be that he cared too much about how that might affect her or he simply didn't like the idea of being worried over. She couldn't tell.

"Hey, my dad's birthday is coming up. I want you to come with me as a friend."

"Pan…"

"I literally don't think I'd be able to survive my family without some protection."

"And your idea of protection is bringing me along? Scraping at the bottom of the barrel, aren't we?"

"You're not that bad, Auden. You're honestly my best bet."

"I'll do it for you, Pan. Just tell me the time and place."

"That was easy. What about the whole not liking crowds thing?"

"It won't be that big, will it? And you'll be there, right?"

"Yeah and yeah. Just a few people. It's pretty chill."

"Is there a particular way I should be when meeting your family?"

"Just be yourself. There's no way you can make me upset. My family's a bit conservative though, but I think you'd fit right in."

"Fine, then. I'll just…prepare myself for that time."

"If it's too much, you don't have to do it," Pan reminded him a little worried.

"No, this is baby steps for me. I do need a bit of a challenge every now and then. I'm sure if they're anything like you, I'll be fine."

"Well, as long as you know what you're doing…"

There was a lull in the conversation until Auden eventually told her to have a good night. For some reason, Pan wanted to stay on the phone with him all night. It was a complete 180-degree change based on how she was feeling before. At least she knew she'd see him again in person soon and she felt quite giddy about it both in excitement and apprehension.

Pan felt as if she was having her cake and eating it too. She could now have two of her favorite people in her life continuously and not feel bad about it. Auden was definitely a friend. All in the span of a few hours, she saw him differently now and wondered why she hadn't seen him that way from the beginning. Of course, he was still quite handsome and blonde and…Well, she didn't want to go down that road again. He wasn't quite her type if she was being honest about it. The aversion to touch was a bit much. And, Bra on the other hand—for now things were working out surprisingly well with her. She'd known this woman forever. Pan wondered why it was so different now. Had Malachi's passing really changed them _this_ much?

Bra pulled herself closer to her since Pan had long since rolled over on her back talking on the phone.

"You and Auden okay now?" Bra asked tiredly.

A little shock went through her knowing that she'd been listening.

"Yeah, we're fine."

"Good, now go to sleep already."

Pan grinned at this, but eventually followed orders.

* * *

AN: Hello, readers, I know it's been a long time, but I've been busy with my new YouTube channel, writing original stories, work, etc. etc. Make no mistake, I've been thinking about this story the WHOLE time. I've completely rethought where this is going as well.

All that to say: stay tuned. I can't promise rapid uploads like last time since classes are starting up again, but they should be more regular. I'll try at least.

SierraLarson: The cover pic for this story is the reference image I use for Auden. That's what his haircut looks like. :)


	5. Lady of the Forest

**Auden waited for Pan to come out of her apartment.** He yawned despite having set this day aside for Pan's father's birthday. There was never a day he could recall when he hadn't been somewhat tired as his medication generally sapped what energy he did have. He wondered why he'd agreed to accompany her so readily knowing that the entire thing would be an ordeal. She'd been upset and he'd wanted to ingratiate himself with her again. For all intents and purposes, he was ready. His therapist had given him ways to cope with such situations, but he'd never actually put them to use preferring always to avoid the problem.

It took her another ten minutes to join him in the car. She wore a floral blouse and skintight jeans. Rarely did Auden ever see her wear something other than some variation of a red cotton T-shirt on her off-work day. Today must have indeed been special for her even with her unusual lateness.

"You look nice today," Pan noted with a smile, "And you're wearing my favorite cologne."

"Thank you, but I only have one cologne. You look nice as well."

Auden had already begun driving off through the parking lot.

Pan turned her gaze to the window. "This is going to be a long trip…I wonder if we should have flown."

"You could have. You still can actually."

"And leave you all alone? I'd rather keep you company. Besides, I don't want to go there on my own."

"They're your family, right? I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad."

He couldn't figure out why Pan was so anxious about this. Though there were some disagreements she had with her mom, he still didn't think that that was enough to explain it.

Pan left his last statement hanging in the air for almost a minute before responding. "I'm probably just blowing this all out of proportion. I just haven't really spent time with them like a family in years now. It almost feels a bit random that I'm deciding to do something about that now."

"Better late than never. They've extended an invitation to you. I bet they can't wait to see you again."

"You'd think."

She seemed distressed as she gazed through the passenger's side window. It felt odd that he was trying to calm _her_ and not the other way around. For the moment, he felt at ease. He hoped it remained that way. He was ready for the worst. He was ready for intrusive questions. He was ready to meet new people. Excluding Pan, there would be five people there and hopefully not too many more.

"How is your father like?" he asked knowing that if there was going to be an issue, it would be with him.

"He's a good guy," Pan said, "He's harmless, if you're worried about him. My mom though…"

She didn't expound on that point and Auden didn't push her on it. Despite her warning, he didn't think he'd have much issue with her mother. It was easier for him to deal with other women than other men and he suspected that her father might be a bit more protective of her than Pan realized, but only time would tell if his predictions were correct. He didn't exactly have much experience with a family such as hers. He'd seen things on TV, read in books, or heard in conversations how that might be like in reality—hopefully he'd derived some truths from those sources.

Her grandmother and great grandfather would be there, and he hadn't the slightest clue how that would be like. It made him a bit nervous, but they would be older and likely wiser. With such people, he got along well. In fact, he preferred older people despite never managing to associate himself with them. It was likely because he was so entrenched in the ever-changing technology world which generally attracted the much younger crowd. Being without at least his cellphone was a bit like being without a part of himself. Of course, he had it with him today, fully charged. The battery could last for days and it could also charge fairly quickly on solar energy alone.

Auden was content driving in complete silence, but he knew that this likely wasn't the norm for other people. Since they'd be driving for hours and he didn't foresee that they'd be able to keep up a conversation the entire time, he wondered if she was fine with extended silence. She seemed a mixture of bored and anxious as the minutes wore on. If she was irritated, she definitely would have said so. Eventually, she closed her eyes as if to fall asleep and mostly remained that way for the rest of the long drive. She must have truly been determined to arrive at the same time as him. If he could easily travel to places in record time, he'd be hard-pressed to find a reason to not use that method every time.

It was early afternoon by the time they arrived. Once they'd made it to Satan City, Pan had already been sitting up a bit straighter in her seat. She seemed no less weary, but her mood didn't rub off on him. The GPS built-in to the car led them directly to the house. Somehow, he'd expected something more modest, but the residence was practically a mansion. For two people, it seemed a bit excessive. Either they had a maid, or they would have to spend hours trying to keep a place like that relatively clean. There were three cars in the driveway as he pulled up.

"Looks like everyone's already here," Pan said drearily. "I'm sure grandma's been here since the crack of dawn."

"Early birds, I see."

"Something like that."

Auden climbed out of the car along with Pan and he waited for her to lead the way. Her dreary expression softened by the time they made it to the front door likely because she remembered that they were supposed to be celebrating rather than stewing in apprehension. They stood before the door and Pan was hesitating.

"Do you think it was a good idea of me to bring you along?" she asked finally.

He looked at her surprised. "I have no idea, but it's too late for second guessing. We can only make the best of the situation. These are people you know," he reminded her. "They invited you. They want you to be here."

"Yeah, sure," she said looking straight ahead.

She knocked lightly on the door. Auden wondered if anyone had heard, but the door opened a few moments later. A dark-haired woman greeted them happily.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you made it, honey," the woman said with a smile.

"Hey, Mom," Pan said sheepishly.

It was an endearing scene to behold. This was apparently the woman he was supposed to be weary of, but he couldn't help but feel at ease seeing the obvious affection she had for her daughter.

"Mom, this is Auden. Auden, this is Mom," Pan said pulling away from the embrace after a few moments.

The woman appeared to not have even noticed him until that moment. All her attention must have been on Pan which was a telling observation. Just how much had Pan neglected visiting her?

"Oh," the woman said as if caught by surprised. She smiled at him warmly. "Wow—" She looked over at Pan as if confused which drew an irritated huff from her. Auden didn't know what to make of the exchange, but he was sure some unspoken message had passed between the two. "I mean, how rude—I meant to say: nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Auden said with a brief nod. He probably should have smiled as well but he at least managed a friendly tone and that was difficult enough.

"And, please, call me Videl," she said with a laugh.

Pan laughed as well. "Uh, sorry, Mom, I didn't know how to introduce you."

"Oh, it's fine, honey."

"Videl, then," Auden said trying out the name. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, come on in, everyone. We were all waiting for you! The food's almost ready." she said cheerfully as she led them into the house.

Pan made sure to close and lock the door before coming along. It was a well-kept place purposefully furnished in a modern style. The living room they passed through seemed far more like a lived-in area with framed pictures of people likely in their family. They eventually arrived in what Auden assumed was the family room. It had much more space and he could see three other people already there. One man seemed to fill up one-fourth of the room and towered over him, but he seemed congenial. Then there was a comparably smaller man who matched his own height and wore eyeglasses as well who seemed equally as affable as the other. Finally, there was Hercule who used to be far more famous back in the day. He was still a household name and it was interesting to meet his family under such circumstances. Pan didn't think he was a big deal and only mentioned that Hercule was her grandfather when he'd asked about her family not too long ago.

Auden met and shook hands with everyone, and they all seemed surprised upon meeting him. It became clear to him that something about him was unexpected. "So _you're_ Auden?", they all essentially said to him. He was missing something, but he couldn't really put his finger on it. There was one person missing. Counting in his head, he determined that it was the grandmother who wasn't around. He could smell the food by now and it was already making his mouth water. He hadn't even eaten breakfast and now he was skipping lunch as well as time wore on. It wasn't something he did often, and he remembered why as he felt his stomach twisting around on itself. Luckily, he wasn't the only one who was hungry. It came as no surprise to him that Pan's great grandfather known as the Ox King seemed just as ready for the food to be done. With how much was being made, Auden imagined that they must have hired cooks for the special occasion.

He made his way lastly to Pan's father who'd introduced himself as Gohan. He was the one that this gathering was about after all—he didn't want to bogart his attention. He'd been speaking with Videl, but she'd just left him to take care of some business in some other part of the house. Gohan was for a moment, by himself. He seemed cheerful enough and he'd been quite welcoming thus far.

"Auden," Gohan said when he approached. "It's nice to finally meet the guy Pan's been talking about for so long. I have to say though, you weren't what we were expecting."

"I've gotten that impression from everyone now. What exactly were you expecting?"

Gohan laughed sheepishly at this. "Nevermind that. Seeing you in person just puts things in perspective. So, I heard you work for CC as well?"

"Yes, as a glorified technician. I manage one of their internal departments."

"Maybe that's why I haven't heard of you there. CC is a pretty huge corporation with a lot of moving parts."

"And what do you do?" Auden asked curious.

"Officially, I'm one of their researchers. It's more of a work-from-home position—way more challenging than it sounds."

"I can only imagine. CC would probably have great need for that kind of work though they usually outsource that sort of thing to other companies."

"Well, I came highly recommended."

"Apparently."

Pan had ties to the Briefs family. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that Gohan did as well. This was likely another instance of favoritism on CC's part, but he couldn't complain too much. Bulma had given him a job no questions asked in the company. Of course, he certainly wasn't offered a position which allowed him to stay at home and he had to work years to reach the level he was now.

"I see you're wearing one of those black rings."

"Ah, yes," Auden said, holding his hand up for a moment showing the ring a little better. He never imagined that people would ever notice it, but twice now in his lifetime it was pointed out.

"Maybe that's why Pan is so taken with you."

"I assure you, we're simply friends."

"Of course, of course," he said chuckling.

Auden felt relieved for a moment, but then he noticed the other become quiet as he seemed to pay closer attention to him. He felt like a fly in a petri dish as his eyes narrowed somewhat.

"Let's talk somewhere more private," Gohan suggested.

"Alright," Auden replied completely at a loss as to what he was getting himself into.

Gohan led him a little further into the house near what Auden supposed were steps that went down into the den or something like that. He stood in front of him now, his expression a great deal more guarded.

"What, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter."

The air had suddenly become cold between them. Pan hadn't warned him about this, but he wasn't completely caught off guard. "We're friends," Auden repeated. "I reached out to her some time after the funeral and it seemed like she really needed someone to talk to and I could say the same about myself. Regrettably, I don't really get out much, so it was a departure from the norm for me."

"One thing just led to another?" he asked pleasantly though his arms were crossed.

"Well, yes, as far as friendships go."

"Have you ever been married before?"

Auden was puzzled at the question, but he answered sincerely. "No."

"And how is it after all of this time, you're still a bachelor?"

"Frankly, I'm more amazed that people are able to find someone so early on in their lives." Gohan seemed pensive at this answer, but Auden continued. "For a good portion of my life, I wasn't thinking along those lines. I had more pressing matters to concern myself with. Recently, however, I suppose I've given it some thought."

"Those pressing matters," Gohan said slowly, "What is an example of that?"

"Perhaps a major part was figuring out how to even live in the first place. I know that sounds strange, I apologize—

"No, I understand," Gohan interrupted. It wasn't likely that he did, but he probably realized that it was personal since Auden was being so vague. "I was just curious. I don't sense any ill-will from you."

"I'm not interested in your daughter," Auden said straight-forwardly. "I accompanied her here at her behest."

"You sound very certain of that," he noted aloud. He watched Auden for a moment longer. "And I believe you."

"I apologize for any misunderstanding."

"No," he said dismissively. "You haven't done anything wrong. Videl has just been overly worried as of late. I tend to just stay out of things like this. I think those two just have some things to work out with each other. Pan showing up today definitely helps."

"Hey, you two, food's ready," Pan's voice interrupted them from the hallway nearby. "And I swear I'll eat everything if you keep us waiting too long," she finished with a wink.

"Be right there," Gohan said suddenly a great deal more animated.

Auden could scarcely keep up as they made a beeline for the dining room. Pan pulled him to the side right before they entered. She wore a concerned mask.

"Are you alright? Was Dad giving you a hard time?"

"I'm fine," Auden said as reassuringly as he could muster. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

Pan was somewhat relieved, but Auden had already proceeded forward as he didn't have much else to add to the conversation and he didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. As he looked around, he saw a large dining room table stretching over half the room with a comically extensive amount of food set all along it. He hadn't realized that this was Thanksgiving. Auden was glad that he was so starving then. He knew he couldn't possibly partake in every variety of food on display, but he'd at least have more than usual in one sitting. The Son family didn't seem to have much in the way of formalities when it came to this occasion which was just as well. They dug in as soon as everyone was seated and soon everyone was passing this and that food item to each other. Still, Auden did not spy the last person who was supposed to be there. Maybe Pan's grandmother had decided to come later.

The mood lightened considerably as they were enjoying themselves and at some points the room became filled with just the noises of eating and utensils hitting glass plates and bowls. Though Auden made his way through a lot of food, the Son family easily outpaced him. While he was done, most of them were still eating. He stayed and chatted with them for what felt like hours as they continued to empty the table of food. It was fascinating to witness, but also a little nauseating. He excused himself eventually to find the bathroom as it was just then becoming unbearable spending such a long time socializing with so many people at once.

He was relieved to return to some peace and quiet. In fact, he did have to use the bathroom, but after he was done with his business, he wasn't too keen on returning. He'd asked about the grandmother or Chi-Chi as the Ox King had referred to her and they seemed sure she would be joining them soon. They weren't very concerned about it. She must have been somewhere in the house. He was hoping he didn't run into her as he found a comfortable looking couch to sit down in and recollect himself. The tiring affair was just then taking its toll on him. He looked up the time realizing that he probably should take his medication right about now. He wouldn't hear the end of it from Aster otherwise. With a sigh, he returned to the bathroom and took up one of the disposable small plastic cups he'd seen on the shelf near the sink. He had no issue using faucet water to take his pills which he did in that moment. Judging from the high-income area they were in, the water quality was likely top-notch. He'd had worse. Auden lingered a bit in the bathroom before returning to the couch. He couldn't quite determine what room of the house it was, but it certainly didn't seem like a personal one and he could see the kitchen in the distance. Maybe they had two family rooms. It was a thought that drew a small chuckle from him. This was far too much for such a small family. He wondered what it must have been like growing up in such a place. He imagined Pan must have fond childhood memories with attentive parents who seemed to care deeply for her. It was a pleasant thought.

Though he hadn't meant to, he found himself dozing off. The walls were just thin enough for him to hear the low hum of conversation coming from the other room even some raucous laughter. He much rather listened to indistinguishable voices from afar than being included in it. It felt comforting to be near that kind of activity and life. It was both foreign and soothing. He'd taken off his glasses as it was irritating to rest while they were on and held them in his hand.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he felt the subtle movement of someone joining him on the couch. Opening his eyes in response became a task much harder than he thought; he'd been on the cusp of falling asleep completely and it was jarring to say the least. He thought he heard something small and wiry hitting the carpeted floor. When he squinted towards the new person, his view was blurry at best. His nearsightedness didn't make the situation any better.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. You seemed so peaceful." Her voice was completely unfamiliar.

"Maybe I should be the one apologizing. I'm just a guest and…" He lost his train of thought when he realized he didn't have his glasses in hand and had no clue as to where they were. If they were on the ground, he could hardly make them out. He started panicking a little.

"Here," the woman said as she climbed to her feet. Somewhere nearby she lifted his glasses from the ground and handed it to him.

"Th-Thank you," he said relieved as he quickly unfolded them to place on his face.

The woman giggled as she returned to her seat.

He paused for a moment with closed eyes to calm his racing heart.

"Are you alright?" she asked concerned. "I didn't mean to poke fun."

"No, it's fine. I was just a little startled."

"Beautiful eyes, by the way."

Auden was finally able to make out the woman and he was taken aback by what he saw. Was this Chi-Chi? There was something about her that had caught him off-guard, but he couldn't figure out just what that was.

"You sure you're in the right place?" she said with a grin, "You missed the modeling agency a few blocks away—Oh, that was so bad, I don't know why I bother."

He found himself speechless and staring dumbfoundedly.

"Am I being too forward?" she said after a few moments.

"N-No, I was just trying to find something clever to say back. I guess I'm not so good at that either."

He felt his cheeks burning and hoped desperately that she wouldn't draw attention to this.

"You must be—" they both began at the same time.

Chi-Chi laughed offhandedly at this. "It's fine—you go first."

"Well, ah, it's not pressing—

"You must be Auden," she blurted out.

He nodded to confirm her statement. "And you're Chi-Chi?" he asked cautiously.

"That would be me. I must be some sort of celebrity around here."

"I didn't see you out there with everyone else."

"I just came back from the dining room—after all that cooking, I need a break."

"Wait, you made all that food?"

Chi-Chi smiled widely at him. "Yep, that was me." She looked away as she thought further. "I might have gone a bit overboard though. No one's complaining though."

"That's incredible. I can't imagine having the energy to do all that."

"I couldn't either until I had the right motivation one day. Now I'm just used to it."

"And no one helps you with that?" Auden asked perplexed.

"Videl always asks, but I just like to get into my own rhythm."

"Hm, I see."

"Do you?" she asked looking at him again, "Or is that a catchphrase of yours?"

"No, I understand what you mean. When you have some project that you want to get done and you have it all planned out, even if it's a monumental task, it feels better just to do it all yourself without having to explain things to other people."

"Yeah, exactly. I had the whole thing planned out for Gohan—bought and prepped all the food days beforehand just so everything could go smoothly."

"It's a beautiful thing when it all comes together so well."

"Please, I could do it in my sleep," she said dismissively. "Well, if you excuse me, I'll let you get back to your nap—I have to get those dishes started."

"Let me help you."

Chi-Chi paused as she was climbing to her feet. "Really?"

"I'm not doing anything, clearly. Put me to work."

"You're on, but it's gonna' be a lot of dishes."

"Of course."

"I mean, _a lot_ of dishes," she warned again.

"I'm sure I can handle it," he replied nonchalantly.

"Okay, suit yourself. I could really use the help anyway. People might ask to help cooking, but everyone disappears when it comes to cleaning."

"I don't mind," he insisted.

The kitchen was only a few paces away. Near the sink, he could see piles of dirty plates, silverware, pots and pans. The sheer magnitude did surprise him a bit, but he was ready to wash some dishes. The challenge alone was motivating. He couldn't wait to wipe clean every single dish

"I'll wash. You dry," he said simply.

Chi-Chi seemed impressed by this. "Alright," she said with a shrug.

Already, he was filling the sink with hot water and dishwashing detergent. He found the sponge nearby and began in earnest. It was a relaxing pastime—something he hadn't done in a while. By the time they got to the third dish, they'd gotten into a rhythm.

"You've done this before," Chi-Chi accused the other humorously. "Like a lot."

"I haven't washed dishes in a very long time. You know they have these things called dishwashers," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but handwashing is so much more thorough. At least I know my dishes are clean."

"Dishwashers have improved a lot over the years—they can clean dishes far better than human hands with a fraction of the time."

"Ugh, you sound like my kids."

"Well, anything that makes life a little easier seems like it'd be worth trying out."

"And miss out on the smell of dishwashing detergent?"

"I must admit, this lemon scent brings back memories."

"Hopefully fond ones." She was rapidly drying off the next dripping clean plate he'd handed off to her.

"I had to do a fair amount of chores back then. This was definitely one of them. But I also worked as a dishwasher for some time—anything to make a little bit of money."

"Definitely a city boy then," she said cheekily.

"Through and through. I take it that's not the case for you."

"I used to only go to the city to go shopping every once in a while. Now I've been dragged out here with my family."

"And how do you like it?"

"It's…well, it's convenient to say the least."

"But you like using your hands. I'm sure it's been quite the readjustment for you."

"It has, but I guess it's for the best. Living out there in the forest—seems like a distant memory really."

"It sounds peaceful."

"It was. Only the sounds of nature came through whenever I opened the windows. We always had fresh fish from the lake nearby."

Auden glanced over at her and noticed that her eyes had closed at what was apparently cherished memories. His eyes softened at the pleasant glow exuding from her countenance. By the time she looked up again, he'd already returned his attention to the particularly messy dish he had in hand. His hands worked quickly scrubbing at the dried and drying morsels.

"The fish today tasted excellent," he commented.

"Don't even get me started on seafood. Everyone says it's my specialty."

"Perhaps you could give me some pointers on that."

"Maybe, if you're really that interested."

They worked in silence for a little while until Chi-Chi spoke again.

"Wow, we're really getting this done in record time. It usually takes me hours."

"Not while I'm here," he said confidently.

"I feel like I should be paying you or something. You don't understand—this is an all day affair. I won't know what to do with myself if we get done too early."

Auden wasn't sure how serious she was about that point. She wasn't exactly smiling after her last statement. "So, what do you do in your free time?" he asked genuinely curious.

"All my time is free time. I'm just some naggy, old lady spending the rest of her days pining over days long past and wishing things would all end just a little quicker."

He nearly dropped the pan he was holding and had quite the time grabbing it before it made a big splash into the water.

"Oh, sorry, that was a bit dark, wasn't it?" she said watching his antics.

With a sigh he handed her the small saucepan. "I'll drain the water again—it's getting a bit too dirty." After he did this, he looked again at her. "I suppose I don't know you all that well, but that does seem out of character for you. Is it really so bad in the city?"

"It's not that," she said shaking her head. "The city's fine. With all the bustle, it kind of keeps me going. If I were still back at my old place, things would be a lot worse. But I don't want to beat around the bush about it—I do have a lot of free time and I spend it taking care of the family. I really enjoy doing that. Actually, I wish I had a few more grandbabies to take care of, but they're really serious about only having one. And Pan? Well, she's a free-spirit, a bit like her grandfather."

"These days, it's expensive taking care of a child."

"Yeah, I know. It's not like how it used to be."

"I think the lives of people have greatly improved over the years. Things are simply different."

"Improved?" she asked dubiously. "Technology is encroaching on every aspect of life. People have become so attached to their phones…"

"I suppose there is an emphasis on technology but think of how much easier it is to attain vital information or the advancements made in medicine."

"I suppose," she said doubtfully. "It's just so much to take in. I guess that doesn't bother you, huh?"

"The idea that there is always something new being invented right around the corner, does excite me, but I understand how change can be stressful when it's happening so fast and continuously."

"So what about you? What do you do?"

The water was still filling up the sink and almost ready to be used once again. "I work for CC as tech support."

"Now I get it. All this technology stuff is right down your alley—just like Bulma."

"I would rather not be compared to her, but I see your point," he ended drily. He hadn't meant to be so obvious about his discontentment. It was more of a snap reaction.

"Oh, you must know her then," she said knowingly with a smile.

"Somewhat. Through her I was given a job at CC when no one else would give me the time of day. I'm grateful for her."

"Is that right? And yet you don't sound too fond of her."

"It's a long story."

"Isn't it always?"

They were interrupted when Pan stuck her head into the kitchen. She seemed a bit flustered.

" _There_ you are," Pan said looking at Auden. "You just left the table so abruptly, I got a little worried." Her eyes glanced over at Chi-Chi. "Sorry, but we gotta' go. We both have work tomorrow and it's going to be a long drive."

"I hadn't realized it was getting so late. How about we leave as soon as we're finished with these dishes."

Pan glanced at what was left to do and noticed a few more stacks of pans that almost touched the ceiling. "You can't be serious," she said with disbelief. "That'll take ages to do. C'mon let's _go_ already, grandma loves doing this stuff. Right?"

"Well, if you gotta' go," Chi-Chi began.

"No," Auden said cutting her off. "I promised I'd help you. Let's finish this. Just give us another half an hour, alright?"

Pan looked at him wearily. "Okay, fine, suit yourself. You're supposed to be a guest, not hired help though," she said with a huff.

Auden had already returned to the task at hand. He waited for Pan to leave to look over at Chi-Chi. "So, how about it? You feel like picking up the speed?"

"Is that a challenge?" Chi-Chi said with a menacing grin.

"Don't slow me down. We have thirty minutes."

"You're on."

The carefree atmosphere suddenly became nothing but when Auden began again on the dishes with lightening speed. Water started to splash a bit more frequently and the poor sponge was smashed into oblivion as it ran over pan after pan. Chi-Chi had to switch out drying towels a few times as they quickly became soaking with use. She easily kept in pace with him and was always ready for the next dish, pan, or silverware that came her way. Their minds had become tunnel vision and minutes began to fly by.

In a little over twenty minutes, they had it all done and soon Chi-Chi was putting the dishes away as Auden cleaned up the mess they'd made—draining and cleaning the sink, wiping down the counters and stove, sweeping the floor and lastly mopping the floor in the last minute. The kitchen shined like new when all was said and done.

"Wow, we really make a good team, don't we?" Chi-Chi said with a cheerful laugh. "Now, I seriously don't know what to do with myself for the rest of the night."

"Hm, I appreciate the challenge."

"Yeah, you were actually enjoying yourself. You know, Auden—you're a rare breed. I can't remember a time anyone ever helped me out like that before. It's actually kind of refreshing."

"Glad I could be of help."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks."

"Now that our hands are all dry and wrinkly—maybe you can show me to the nearest bottle of lotion."

"Oh my gosh, you are such a city boy. C'mon, follow me."

Auden was led to the room with the comfortable couch. She went to a desk and pulled out a large tube of a rather luxurious lotion—Midnight Rose.

"It's a little girly, but Pan swears by this brand." She handed it to him.

"I'm not very picky." He squeezed a little out of the tube for himself. He noticed that Chi-Chi had no intention of partaking in this as she had her hands to her side. "Hold out your hand," he implored.

Chi-Chi tsked at him. "It's not that serious."

"Your poor hands will thank you later and not start peeling."

"Fine," she said with a huff, finally holding her hands out. Much to her chagrin, he squeezed quite a bit on her hand. "Alright, I get it—I'm super dry."

"I meant no harm—that's as much as I give myself."

"Oh," she said likely feeling a bit silly. "You seem to take really good care of yourself—just like Bulma."

He frowned at this.

"I mean, well, I don't know—fill in the blank with somebody else who does the same," she said quickly.

"I do as much as necessary," he replied.

"I can tell you're around the same age as me though. The eyes always give it away. You've seen a lot over the years."

Auden looked at her thoughtfully. "I think that applies to both of us. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Oh please, says the guy who probably has the ladies swooning at one glance."

"I don't know about that. People generally keep their distance and I often prefer it that way."

"I find that hard to believe," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"See? Look at your hands now." He said changing the subject. "Lotion makes all the difference."

She touched her hands at this and then looked at him surprised. "Now, I've tried my fair share of lotions, but this is really something. It's really smooth!"

He'd picked up the bottle again looking at the ingredients and moved a little closer to her when he found what he was looking for. "The first two minerals have de-aging properties—something that's been on the market for years now. It used to be that only the expensive products had these kinds of ingredients, but now it's become much easier to synthesize and mass-produce. It's quite popular these days."

"Giving me a crash course in cosmetics, city boy?"

"Like I said, information is so easy to come by. A quick web search would have gotten you to the same answers as I did long ago."

"I just never paid it much mind," Chi-Chi said relenting. "I guess I didn't think it mattered much. I'm not the kind of person who does deep-dives into mundane things like lotion."

"I suppose ladies from the forest have better things to tend to," he said with a grin.

She seemed amused by his statement. "I think I like that nickname."

"Perhaps we should exchange numbers," he said after a moment. He took out his cellphone. "If you don't mind."

"Oh, like cellphone numbers?" she said caught off guard. "I don't really…own a cellphone. But you can call the house phone."

"I have no idea how one survives without a cellphone. Landlines are practically on its deathbed as far as technology goes."

"Geez, rub it in, will ya? I don't get out much."

"I don't either. That's no excuse."

"Whatever. Just call me on the home phone."

He sighed at this. "Well, I suppose I'll have to."

She quickly recited the number and he recorded it in his device.

"Ugh, now are you ready?" Pan's voice rang out cutting into their conversation. Chi-Chi had just opened her mouth to say something else, but she quickly abandoned whatever it was. "Thirty minutes? More like _forty_ minutes. Let's go already!"

Pan seemed unaware of how perturbed he was as she entered the room.

"Alright, I guess it's time for the kids to leave," Chi-Chi said dismissively.

Auden looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she smiled briefly at him. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Yes, better to leave the rest of the chores to the grown-ups," Auden said smoothly as he made his way towards Pan.

Pan looked at them with an odd expression, but then moved on quickly, glad that she could finally drag Auden out of there. They made their rounds saying goodbye to everyone still there and made a beeline for the car. Auden was a bit more alert than usual at this time of day. They had hours of driving ahead of them and he was surprised Pan was still insisting to sit in the vehicle with him.

"They dragged that out. I swear Mom didn't want me to leave until next week," Pan complained.

"I had a nice time there."

"Yeah, after ducking out midway through."

"Sorry about that—I had to take a break from everyone for a while."

She looked at him with understanding. "I had a feeling. You did really well considering."

"I suppose with practice, I could become a little better. I think it's nice how much your family wants you around."

"Yeah, I guess. I know I must sound so selfish right now, right? It's just you and your daughter and I'm complaining about having parents and all that. We just don't see eye to eye on certain things and it's annoying."

"I know it might sound difficult to do now, but perhaps it would be better if you focused on the things you _do_ agree with. I'm sure they just want what's best for you."

Pan didn't say anything back for a few minutes just as the car merged out onto the highway. "I'll try next time…for my dad's sake."

"You won't regret it."

Auden felt her eyes on him for a moment before returning to the window. "I guess you're speaking from experience, huh. Like with your own mom."

He nodded at this. "But it's just my opinion, in the end. Do what you think is best."

"I know."

As the drive wore on, Pan fell asleep along the way. He had to nudge her back to wakefulness when they were back at her place in the apartment complex.

"Thanks again for coming with me, Auden. Have a good night," she said as she opened the door.

"It was an honor joining you today and meeting new people as well. Good night."

Auden watched her safely climb the stairs before pulling off again. After another half an hour, he made it back to his place in record time in the dead of night. He stumbled back into his place as exhaustion finally came crashing down on him. Now that it was all over, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He'd made it without any mishap. It was definitely a milestone for him. He checked first for Aster, but she wasn't there as was now becoming the norm. Without bothering to change into his nightclothes, he crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep leaving his thoughts about Chi-Chi to be more thoroughly examined at a later time.

* * *

 **AN** : Curve balls is my middle name.


	6. A Path to New Namek

**Auden yawned as he drove home that evening.** Work hadn't been particularly kind to him that day. The allergy season was really hitting his employees hard as it always did when Spring went into full swing. He was practically working with a skeleton crew and it would likely be that way for the next few days. The very thought of it sounded tiring, but he'd have to take it one day at a time.

His phone began to ring as he waited for the latest traffic light to turn green. Looking at the Caller ID, he knew instantly that it was Bulma—he sighed with displeasure. It wasn't altogether surprising to get a call from her these days. She'd claim she was bored and just want to talk, but he suspected that she was fishing for something, likely to see how he was doing. Aster was always over at their place from what he could tell and perhaps her presence reminded her of his existence and piqued her curiosity. Every time she called, he made sure to keep things very surface-level and unobtrusive. Whenever she tried to ask questions that were too personal, he would disregard them completely. Usually their call would end shortly after. It was a tiring affair that he didn't particularly feel like dealing with right now, but he didn't want to make things harder for Aster or himself. He answered despite himself.

"Hello?" he asked plainly.

"Oh, Auden, you know it's me, right? Your fancy phone doesn't have Caller ID?"

"I don't like to assume. Someone else could have your phone."

"I told you before—no one uses this phone, but me."

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Auden heard her sighing exasperatedly over the phone. He knew exactly what he was doing as he refocused the conversation.

"Well, I have a little problem. It's been driving me crazy for months now. I thought I could figure it out, but, apparently not. I really need your help with this program I'm trying to create. I know this is spur of the moment, but it's really important to me."

"This sounds serious," he replied after a moment. "I'll lend my help in whatever way I can."

He wondered about her supposed issue knowing that Bulma was well-versed in hardware and software. Was there really something that he could come up with that she couldn't? Maybe this was some sort of trap.

"Really? You'll come over right now? I hope this isn't a bad time."

He couldn't turn back after volunteering so readily. Wanting to help someone who was in need was so instinctual that he'd not been able to stop himself. He wasn't the greatest liar and he'd feel bad about it if he came up with some crappy excuse to get out of it.

"I've just finished with work. I'm on my way."

Auden left it at that before ending the call. Whatever was the problem, he didn't foresee it taking very long—he either knew what to do or didn't. He took a right turn at the intersection and began to move in the direction of the largest house in the city—the Briefs' residence. He'd gone there plenty of times before dropping off Aster to know where the place was without needing to consult his GPS. He arrived at the destination in record time.

As always, he parked somewhere off to the side and near the main entrance so that he could make a quick escape if necessary. There was no telling what Bulma had up her sleeves. No sooner had he stepped out of the car, he could see Bulma's approach from afar. The property was obnoxiously large; practically a small city. It was a wonder she knew he was there so quickly. He waited with crossed arms as he leaned against the driver's side door.

"You actually came," Bulma said with some reservation in her tone—Auden was surprised to hear it.

"I said that I would," he reminded her.

"Yeah, I know, it's just—I thought you would bail at the last minute. I'm glad you took my call, I'm glad we got to talk. We don't do that very often, do we?"

"We do it enough."

Bulma laughed at this. "I'm talking about _real_ conversation, face-to-face."

"The occasion never came up."

"Well," she began slowly. "We're here, face-to-face…"

"I thought you had some pressing issue you needed assistance with."

He could tell she was quite perturbed at his response. It began to dawn on him that he likely should have gone with his first gut instincts to completely avoid any of this even if there really was something she wanted him to look at.

"Auden, really? Why do you always have to be like this?"

He looked at her wearily. "I swear I will leave, if you don't just get to the point of whatever it is you feel like you need to tell me. I don't have all day and I don't like staying out late."

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "I just wanted to apologize."

"For what?" he asked genuinely confused.

"You remember back in high school? Sophomore year?"

He didn't respond and simply waited for her to continue.

"Geez, you're not giving me much to work off of, you know that?"

"I remember. Continue."

She frowned a little, but then did just this. "I wanted to apologize for pursuing you so relentlessly that time and probably making everything much worse for you. I thought I was helping you—I thought I was _teaching_ you about life, but I was really just naïve and—

"When you insisted on buying me some new eyeglasses, I appreciated that more than I let on at the time."

"But…"

"The ones I had were the wrong prescription and Mom simply didn't have enough to pay for something at least halfway decent. I knew that she couldn't, but I was still upset about it. I could barely see anything at all, and each night was a struggle trying to do the homework or any sort of reading. I would literally have books inches from my face—it was ridiculous and headache inducing. The world was always so blurry until the day we went to that optometrist and everything just opened up for me. Any annoying thing you did afterwards easily became tolerable."

Bulma smiled at this. "I knew you liked them 'cus I never saw those other beat-up pairs again."

"Oh, I threw those away immediately. If I could, I would have thrown them into an incinerator. Mom appreciated it as well, if you wanted to know, but she also told me to be careful and that people didn't just give things out the kindness of their hearts."

"Well, she was right. I wanted something in return. I like to think I'm this benevolent person, but I'm really not. I'm really just selfish and will help people only if it benefits me in some way."

"Everyone is selfish on some level, but I would argue that that isn't such a bad thing. Without some sort of self-preservation mechanism in place, we end up not being helpful to anyone."

"I guess that's true. I always try to be selfless to some degree now—it's harder than I thought. I know I was buying you a lot of things at one point because I sort of pitied you—

"I noticed."

"It was patronizing. It was probably embarrassing, and everyone knew what I was doing."

"Okay," he said simply. "Is this the point you were trying to get to?"

"No," she said with a frown. "Buying you new eyeglasses aside—it still doesn't excuse what I did, pressuring you like that, making it nearly impossible to tell me no. I always felt like I had to fix you in some way. I waited until no one was looking to push you into that corner to start making out with you and then you ran off in terror—I've felt guilty about that ever since. That was basically sexual harassment. I read all the signs wrong and ended up hurting you in the end. I'm sorry."

Auden hadn't thought that she would bring that part up or even see it in that way. These were simply things he kept to himself. No one cared. Normal people aren't traumatized by being pursued or kissed by someone who most people consider beautiful. And Bulma was not only considered beautiful, but intelligent, a social butterfly, rich, and popular. She was heir to one of the most influential corporations in the world. Normal people would call that being lucky.

She seemed genuinely sad about this which caught him by surprise. He didn't understand. He didn't know how to respond.

"Well," she said after a long passing moment. "Do you forgive me?"

"We were friends then, and we still are now."

"Do you forgive me?" she repeated determinedly.

It would be easy to just say the thing that would assuage her apparent anxiety over the incident. Yet he couldn't part his lips to do so. Why was she making such a big deal about this? Why now? "I don't understand why this is so important to you. Why must you always dredge up the past like this?"

"You haven't forgiven me," she stated. "I knew it. I just knew it. How in the world can you call me a friend if you secretly hate me?"

He looked away for a moment before his reply. "Because you helped me when no one else would and there's not a long a list of people I could say that about."

She was in no way pacified by this answer. He could tell from her sour expression. He already wanted to simply leave, problem or no. He had no idea the "right" thing he should say in this situation and he wanted to avoid outright lying and hurting her feelings.

"You saved me—is that what you wanted to hear? I'm indebted to you. I've done nothing to repay you."

"But you still secretly hate me and that's why you've been avoiding me like the plague. That's why you won't ever come in whenever I ask. You won't join us for dinner. You just pretend that it's totally normal to do that when your daughter spends so much time here."

"Maybe," he said in realization. He wanted to keep his distance from her—as much distance as possible. It wasn't as if he'd forgotten about those things that had occurred in high school, but he didn't like thinking of Bulma that way. It wasn't something he was all that fond of sorting through and everything was much simpler when things were left in the air, narratives disconnected from reality.

"That's why I thought we should talk about it."

"We're talking about it," he said flatly.

"You know what I mean. So now it's your turn. What do you think? About any of it?"

"Bulma, seriously? Right now?"

"Then when? Never? Now that we've identified the elephant in the room. I see no reason to not address it. We're both adults here—older, wiser perhaps. Maybe we can stop playing hide-n-seek."

His eyes closed wearily at this. If he could melt into a puddle and slide away, that would be perfect. She wanted to do this now. He could leave her hanging, but it would leave things even more awkward than it already was between them.

"Are you okay, Auden?" she asked.

Her voice sounded so pitying. She desperately wanted to be let off the hook about events that happened ages ago. He was trying to find a way to convince himself to do it. Logically, it made sense that he should. Suddenly though, just for this day, his emotions were eroding his generally rational decision-making. Could it be that she was confronting him and still held great sway over him? Did it feel like she was manipulating him to say something to make her feel better? Why did it matter, if that was the case? That was simply Bulma's way: Bulma gets what Bulma wants.

"You're just going to keep your thoughts to yourself, then?" she prodded. "Just say something. Anything at all."

He was looking at her again, eyebrows slightly furrowed. He could say _something_ , if that's all she wanted, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to say something nice. "I hated everything about high school aside from the learning part. I tried my best to sidestep all the drama that came with it, but then you came to destroy any notion of remaining largely unnoticed. When you come to school with ratty, holey clothes, you're at the bottom of the totem pole. Everyone makes fun of you, but no one cares. I didn't care as long as I could ignore them. When the most popular girl in school randomly takes an interest in you and makes you her little project, then everyone hates you. All of her exes hate you. I liked you to a certain degree, but then every encounter had to turn into some romantic opportunity until you felt some foreign need to take it to the next step. At the time, we were still on good terms and no one liked that. Then after sophomore year, you disappeared. Meanwhile, the rest of high school was a train wreck for me. That's all I care to say about it."

For some reason, she was smiling. "See? Didn't that feel nice. That's all I wanted. Just be honest with me. I mean, I feel even shittier, but still. I'd gotten accepted into university, by the way—that's why I left."

"How nice."

"I bet you could have done the same thing with the kind of grades you had."

"Maybe, if I'd kept them up. That wasn't the case."

"Really?" she asked in realization. "I'm _so_ sorry—your grades were always so perfect until—

"It's not your fault," he interrupted. "It was up to me keep them up and I failed as I always do."

"Auden…"

"I've never been all that great dealing with stress. Some days are better than others. Sometimes, I wonder why I try at all, but usually I'm pretty optimistic. At least, these days."

Bulma was quiet for a moment. "That's more than you've ever shared with me before. Guess I still can't convince you to join us for dinner, can I?"

"I'm starting to think you really didn't have an issue that you wanted me to look at and that it was all a hoax to talk me to death. Are we ever getting to that or not? I do still have work tomorrow."

"Ugh, alright, Auden. That's enough prodding for today, I guess. I'm just relieved to actually know where I stand with you."

"I still owe you so I will help you whenever you need me."

Bulma grinned though with a note of despondency and shook her head. "Follow me then."

Finally, they were moving away from the car, but Auden suspected that there was a ways to go before they reached the building she was currently working in.

"I normally would try to do things like this in my basement lab, but I needed far more sophisticated computing. Basically, I've been developing a program that can locate a specific planet in the universe. I know enough about the planet to narrow down the parameters, but the universe is unfathomably huge and at this point, just purely searching would take many lifetimes to finish and that's if New Namek is within the observable universe. There's also a few kinks in the program that's screwing up its searching capabilities. I really feel like I haven't gotten anywhere."

"First off," Auden began walking beside her now. "Are you completely certain that this planet 'New Namek' exists?"

Bulma looked at him wearily. "Of course. Why would I waste my time on a fairytale?"

"Because you're bored."

"It's not like that. This is serious."

"So you've told me. This sounds like the sort of computing that NASA would already be well-versed in. Maybe someone who works for them would have better insight."

"Oh, I've already consulted them on this. They even lent me the framework for what I'm using now."

"Well, of course. CC has its hands in everything."

She gave him a cheeky grin. "I didn't have to start from scratch. They were a huge help, but I can't let them in on everything. If the government caught wind of an actual, live alien civilization, all hell would break loose."

"But it's okay to let me know about this."

"I trust you. Anyways, I'm stumped; I need you to look at it. The program is barely working at all."

"I don't see how much help I'd be, but, sure I'll take a look. This still sounds like a 'Bulma is bored' project. Is there some reason you're keeping this hidden from the proper channels? Is this another instance of CC controlling the flow of information to the general public?"

"I didn't peg you for a conspiracy theorist, Auden. Just trust me. It's important that people don't know about this."

"It's not a conspiracy, Bulma, it's a fact. I work for you. I should know. All this secrecy just to innocently find some planet that may or may not be feasible in finding in the first place."

"If you must know, New Namek has dragon balls which means it has the ability to summon a dragon which can grant us any wish we want."

"Ah, yes, the dragon balls. It always comes back to that for you, doesn't it? You want to resurrect the late popstar and completely defy the laws of physics."

"His name is Malachi and, yes, my goal is to wish him back. But first, we have to find the needle in the haystack. I just need a fresh set of eyes. I've been staring at the same code for too long."

"Why don't you just take a break then? Look away for a couple days and then come back," he suggested.

"I can't afford to. I need to get this done as soon as possible. I need someone like you—someone of equal skill to see what I can't see. Everyone's been depending on me to figure everything out and this just seems a little beyond me. I'm dabbling in subjects that aren't even my strong suits. Physics? Hardware? Mechanical Engineering? That has my name all over it. Software? Programming? Not so much."

He wondered about her assessment of him being of "equal skill", but he didn't protest. She seemed at her wit's end with this. He probably should have been gearing up for the moment he utterly disappointed her. Yet the part about looking over the coding didn't seem too intimidating. Everything else was up in the air. He would still file this under "Bulma is bored" with a little bit of "Bulma is desperate" sprinkled in. The idea that there existed these mystical objects which could grant wishes if only one could collect them sounded more than just farfetched but completely made-up as well. Yet he couldn't deny that Bulma was convinced of them. That simply didn't add up to what he knew about her. He could believe that a human had lost their mind sooner than dragon balls being real. It didn't matter either way. People of her caliber and worth could afford to be airheaded. He would do what he can and then go. This visit was already taking entirely too long.

They arrived at another capsule building that was only a little smaller than the main house. Inside, Auden was presented with a mess of papers, tools, wires, and other mechanical paraphernalia. How could anyone work in such clutter? He sighed inwardly as they stepped over objects on the floor

"Here we are—my home for the last couple months."

Auden eyed a spilled cup of coffee on one of the workbenches with a still drying puddle of brown liquid on the floor—he unconsciously grimaced at the carelessness. She brought him over to the large computer that took up a significant chunk of the wall. The sheer size of it left him awestruck as his eyes finally took it in. The amount of computing power this device had was probably unlike anything that was out on the market even for businesses. He could do a lot of damage with this especially if it was web-enabled.

"I knew you'd like it. This baby took me quite a bit of time to put together, but I need this for what I have instore. Here—" She pulled back the only chair at the massive supercomputer wiping away all the papers and writing utensils that ended up on the seat. She also brushed away the crumbs on the keyboard before presenting the seat to him—"It's all yours."

Partially disgusted but more curious, he sat down cautiously. Noticing more stray crumbs however, he wiped these away as well.

"Oh, c'mon, Mr. Prim and Proper. Sorry for the mess. I had to eat and I didn't want to stay away too long."

"Right," he said with pursed lips. "Just show me what you have so far."

There was a stationary mousepad which her hand hovered over to click through files before she got to the source code. Just like the computer, it was massive. She quickly scrolled through pages and pages of code. His eyes skimmed these over in the meantime. By the time she got to the last portion of it, he was wearing an obvious frown.

"Alright, Auden, do you see something wrong already?"

"Just like this place, this program looks like a mess. It's atrocious. No wonder you can't see the forest through the trees. Where are your variable names? Why are there unnecessary spaces? Why haven't you spelled out each module's function?"

"That's elementary, Auden. _I_ know what each variable is doing. I know what each piece of the code is doing. Just ask me and I'll explain." She seemed amused with his reaction to seeing the script.

"No. This is unacceptable."

"Auden—

"I'm going to have to reconstruct this entire program."

She snorted. "I didn't ask you to completely rewrite my program."

"I wasn't asking for permission. If you want me to be of any use, then your program will be restructured so that a sane person can understand."

"Oh, and you're sane?"

"When it comes to coding, apparently, I am."

He'd already scrolled back to the top, trying to figure out what was evening happening there. From there, he began questioning her on every inch of the program until he knew enough to translate it to what was on the screen. Her frustration only made him bolder. Clearly, she was desperate because at no point did she tell him to leave. For all her sucking of teeth and exasperated sighs, she answered his questions for the next half hour. It was all starting to make sense in startling clarity. Bulma was beginning to see the minute changes he was doing to what was already there.

"Oh, I see…" she'd said at least three times now. Or she'd proclaim "Brilliant!" when he wrote out an additional module to assist with another or reworked one of her nested loops into something much simpler. It was nice hearing her ringing endorsements. He could feel her anxiousness slowly easing off as he combed through what was there eliminating each issue she pointed out in the programing. He didn't think he was doing anything too incredible, but Bulma seemed to think so. Maybe she'd simply been too burnt out to do what he was doing at this point.

Hours slipped by as they delved further into the details. He hadn't realized what time it was until he happened to glance at the time on the corner of the screen. It was nearing midnight. Without windows, time had become nearly irrelevant. The day had become entirely too late and he was completely off schedule. This was not the quick visit that he had envisioned. Worse than that, he'd forgotten to take his pills which he hadn't bothered taking with him. He was always at home by this time. He hadn't stayed out this late since…Well, he couldn't remember if he'd ever done anything like that before.

"Aster is going to kill me," he said before Bulma could draw him to another issue with the programming.

"What?" she asked caught off guard. "What's wrong?"

"My medicine. It's at my place."

"Oh," she said, not thinking much of it. But then realization set in. "Oh," she said in a different tone. "Are you okay to drive back for them? Maybe we could continue."

"I don't think it would be a good idea for me to drive now."

"Then stay here. I have so many rooms around here."

"I can't stay. Could you do me a favor? I don't live that far away—

"Say no more," she said following his train of thought. "Just stay here, okay? I'll be back in a jiffy. Text me everything I need to know. I didn't mean to throw you off your schedule. I should have told you this would take a long time. With your help though, I'm even closer than ever to finishing this once and for all."

"Well, I'm glad to help even if I'm not so sure on the success you'll have with all of this."

"Don't worry. It'll work. We'll find the dragon balls."

Auden watched as she expertly made her way over the treacherous floor to the door on the other side of the room. He was left alone with his own thoughts. It certainly wasn't the first time this was the case, but it had been awhile since he wasn't in the grips of the controlling properties of his usual drugs. He turned his attention back to the source code and he continued to manipulate the structure.

He found his fingers tapping away at the keyboard at first at a normal speed. As minutes began to roll by, his fingers moved faster and faster, his eyes sweeping through the code finding more and more errors.

"This is such clumsy form, Bulma," he said to himself. "The execution…so beneath you….Don't worry. I know what you meant to do…"

He remembered thinking just how massive and intricate the source code was. Now he was wondering why it was so short. He looked through everything a few more times changing, correcting, rewriting, reworking, adding, and taking away as he saw fit until he couldn't find anything else—a fact that became utterly frustrating. Was he actually done? Hadn't there been so much more to work on? He glanced at the time again—only ten minutes had passed. Bulma likely hadn't even made it to his place yet.

There was no place to rest his head, so he moved over to a workbench where a stool sat. The space on the bench was completely cluttered with objects he couldn't even begin to put a name to, but he did see a number of tools. He pushed some things aside causing some metal trinkets to hit the ground so that he could lay his head down somewhere. He knew paranoia would set in; he was already getting anxious. Time seemed to be crawling at a snail's pace. What could he distract himself with in the meantime? He couldn't think of anything at the moment. Instead, his mind kept visualizing the code musing over every line wondering if there was something more he could do.

Just then, he heard something solid hit the table beside him and he nearly fell off the stool as he looked up with a fearful jolt. It was a tall, cold glass of yellow substance, but what had caught his eyes was the spikey haired man that now stood in front of him. Auden hadn't even heard him enter. Was he even real? How could anyone avoid making noise on this floor?

"So you're the guy Bulma said she was consulting," he said roughly.

"Ah, y-yes." He didn't have the presence of mind to ask who he was, but it was obvious that he knew Bulma at least.

"You're finished with that?"

"With the program?"

"Whatever you guys are working on."

"Well, I can't find anything else to adjust so…"

"Good. That woman hasn't left this place for more than a few minutes. It's a little worrisome. I know how important this is to Bra, but it was getting a little out of hand. This is a glass of lemonade, by the way. Bunny made it for you."

"A bunny?" he asked confused.

"No, you idiot, that's just her nickname."

"Oh," Auden said as he turned to the glass that now looked quite refreshing knowing what it actually was. There was even a straw along with a parasol cocktail pick leaning to the side. He hadn't consumed anything since lunch and his mouth was long since parched. When he took a sip, his mouth was immediately bombarded with the tingly sensation of fresh lemon. Whoever Bunny was had worked hard on this particular drink. It was dizzying. "Perfect…"

"I guess you like it then."

Auden didn't bother looking back at him as he took a much longer swig of it.

"Anyways, since you're done, mind looking at something else for me?"

This piqued his interest immediately. Something to distract himself with. "I'm not sure I can help, but I'll try my best."

The spiky haired man made his way over to an overflowing bin in the corner and Auden followed him. Conical, spherical, and even rectangular prism bots filled the bin. They seemed turned off and relatively new.

"These are those training bots Bulma said she'd get to eventually, one day. She's been busy though, so I haven't really pushed her on the issue. I don't know if she's actually done with them—can you just take a look and see if there's anything that still needs to be done?"

Auden had already pulled out his phone and began accessing the A.I. software. "What kind of training are they used for?"

"Let's say, martial arts. I have an idea for all the students at the dojo, but I've kind of been sitting on this for weeks now."

Auden's eyes were running through the functionality. Then, seeing the changes he could be making to optimize the technology, he made his way back to the main computer to display it on the screen so that he could easily type on the keyboard. The stranger who'd asked him to do it was now more of an afterthought as his focus became exclusively on the coding.

"There," Auden said after what felt like ten minutes, but when he looked, he realized that only a minute had passed. "It should be ready for use."

The man was looking at him strangely with a raised eyebrow and Auden wondered if he'd missed something.

"I'll just have to take your word for it, then." The man looked from the screen to him again. "I'm sure if Bulma asked for your help—you know what you're doing."

"It was child's play," Auden said returning to his phone. "It had Bulma's fingerprints all over it. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to learn that I've changed a few things about it. You'll appreciate the results, if you're using it for martial arts."

When he heard the heavy bin of bots being moved, he looked back with surprise. Clearly, the man was no stranger to the gym. He easily carried everything out without saying another word. Shaking his head in amazement, he returned to the workbench and laid his head down again.

"Are you alright?" came the now familiar gruff voice of the man.

He'd entered once again without Auden noticing. "I'm fine."

"Bulma has plenty of guest rooms. You're not trapped in here."

"I'm fine," he repeated.

Auden could still feel his presence nearby and he wondered if the man might say something more.

"Suit yourself then," he said finally before leaving him alone.

Auden started to count to himself breathing slowly in and out. The anxiousness was becoming far more intense. He finished the cold beverage quickly before returning to his position. "…Why the hell did I come here…? Aster will probably be so upset right now…This is so stupid." He looked up to see that twenty minutes had finally passed. Perhaps Bulma was on her way back. "Please…"

But what did it matter that she came back at all? Did anything really matter? Why was he so anxious? Was it really so important to continue to do this over and over again? What it really so important to show up at work again to continue being the insignificant cog in the machine he was always destined to be? He closed his eyes in exhaustion. He had no idea the amount of time that had passed before Bulma was shaking him to wakefulness. Her touch was startling to say the least, but it had been brief.

"I found the pill box with everything parsed all out just like you said," she said. She'd placed it on the table before him, "And I got a bottle of water for you. Man, that's a lot of pills. Do you really have to take all of them?"

"That's what I've been prescribed," he replied drearily.

"Oh, it's alright, Auden. It's a small price to pay. Now c'mon, take them already—maybe we could get a bit more done tonight."

Auden looked at the pill box with disdain. There were quite a few in there with multiple colors. For some reason, he couldn't even motivate himself to pick the box up. "What's the point, anyway?" he said wearily.

"Auden—

"I'm no use to anyone whether I take them or not."

"I need you right now—doesn't that count for something?" she reminded him with hands on her hips. "And Aster too. Where is all this coming from?"

"Why continue pretending that any of this is worth struggling to maintain?"

"What do you want me to say?" Bulma asked now becoming desperate. "Please, just take them for me, alright? Take them because _I_ want you to. Could you do that for me?"

Auden's eyes which had been trained on the pill box glanced over at her and then nodded. He flipped open the appropriate section of the box and poured the multitude of pills into his hand. There were so many of them, all of them with names he could barely pronounce. It felt so futile and tedious. What was so wrong about ending it all? Why was it so pertinent that he continue and fail, continue and fail, in an unending loop of events?

"Please," Bulma said interrupting his thoughts.

He'd almost forgotten that she was there watching his actions. Slowly, he bit the bullet once again just like every other time he forced himself to down the sheer magnitude of pills that supposedly made him feel better. It was done in a few moments at which point he simply returned to his previous position.

"Auden, I can't let you drive back in this condition. Why don't you just stay here for now?"

He didn't respond. He didn't feel like responding.

"Auden?"

Her voice sounded so concerned. Why? Her little project must have been extremely important to her. It was the only reason.

"Are you even listening to me anymore?"

By the time he looked where he supposed her voice was coming, he realized that he wasn't in the same place. He was somewhere else completely unfamiliar. No, he wasn't back at home. He couldn't hear the familiar whirring of electrical devices and he didn't see depressing clutter on every possible surface. This was cleaner; the air was cleaner.

"Bulma?" he asked confused.

He was sitting on a bed and she was standing right in front of him. At the moment, she looked relieved.

"You're back."

"From…where?"

"I don't know—you tell me. You just stopped responding to me and I just kind of led you here. It was like—well, it was kind of like before at the institution…"

He couldn't recall how he'd gotten to this room and he likely never would. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Please don't tell Aster—

"It's okay. This is just between you and me, but I'm not going to let you leave like this. Just wait until you're normal again."

"What do you mean, 'normal'? This is me. This is who I really am."

"Auden…"

"Normal is abnormal for me which is why I depend so heavily on drugs just so I can function properly."

"That's alright; it's nothing to be ashamed of. Every person is different, people require different things to cope with life in general."

"I'm sure they do," he said drily.

He didn't actually feel like arguing with her. If there was one thing he knew about her, it was that she was hardheaded and didn't listen well. It was a fruitless task trying to fully explain himself. It would probably be too dreary for someone so hopeful. Her expression had become weary.

"I'll be back in a little while to check in on you, okay?"

He was a little frustrated with her babying, but he gave her a brief nod. He felt as if he was on watch and it felt too similar to being in a hospital. Maybe he should still be there.

"Please keep the lights on," he said as she turned towards the door.

Auden watch as she reached for the light switch, but at the last minute left it alone and then closed the door on her way out.

* * *

Bulma walked a little ways down the hall back to the main area of the building.

"Well…so much for getting a little extra help. I swear, at the first sign of trouble…" she muttered to herself as she made her way to the mainframe.

"I heard talking to yourself was the first sign of insanity," Vegeta said from somewhere behind her.

She used to jump every time he seemed to come out of nowhere, but now she was used to it and just assumed that he was likely always somewhere nearby or could probably hear everything that she was saying.

"If that were the case, then we'd both be in the funny house by now," she said dismissively. "I just really hoped he could shed some light on some of this and…"

She paused as she started to look at the code. It looked unrecognizable from what they had been working on. She could find little of her own work left. Effectively, he'd rewritten the entire thing…and it was brilliant. A confused and surprised look graced her face as she parsed through it all. It was so simplistic, so easy to follow.

"I was watching him work on that," Vegeta said, "and I don't think I've ever seen anyone write out code as quickly as that. Either he knew what he was doing or it was just plain gibberish."

"It's not gibberish. He did it. This will do it. Within a year, if New Namek is out there and my parameters are correct, this program _will_ find it."

"Wait, are you serious?" Vegeta asked. "This thing you've been working on for months now that's been completely rewritten, works better than what you first predicted was even possible?"

"Yes to all of that," Bulma said with a wide smile.

She hardly knew how to react. It was mindboggling. She ran over to Vegeta and kissed him directly on the lips before immediately working on the next phase of the project—building the device that could possibly _do_ what the program was instructing. She was already at the workbench looking around for the proper tools.

"Vegeta, we're in the homestretch now!"

"Well, do you need anything from me?" he asked pretending to keep his cool.

She knew he was just as invested as she was in this. He'd visited the lab more often than he ever had in the past and he'd encourage her in his own way, bringing food when she forgot to eat for too long, reminding her that there was no rush, and not mentioning the fact that she spent so much time away from everyone these days. There were a few bedrooms in the building that she'd been occupying so that she could be closer to her work. On some nights, he'd joined her, but he knew that she preferred to be in her own element alone, so he didn't overstay his welcome.

"I'll let you know if I do. This is just incredible. I never imagined…I swear to god, I can't just have Auden wasting his talents in some lowly tech support position. He could be inventing things, optimizing things, actually make some sort impact on the world. Then maybe he wouldn't be so down on himself all the time."

"He actually _likes_ working for you?" Vegeta said with a snort.

"Oh, shut-up, I'm not so bad and I pay well."

Vegeta only responded with a 'hmph' before disappearing out the exit. She was hardly paying him any attention anyway as she began in earnest on her contraption. Hours passed having finished less than a fourth of what she had in mind. Not to mention, she still needed to buy some special material for her new planetary radar.

She paused in her work to finally go check in on Auden. It was a little late and she hadn't meant to keep him so long. He mentioned he had work the next day, but it was a moot point considering who she was and she certainly wouldn't allow him to be fired so easily. When she opened the door to the room, she noticed the lights were still on and that he hadn't seen fit to use the bed he'd been sitting on. She was hoping he'd reconsider just staying for a few days, if need be. It took her a moment to realize that Auden was there sitting on the ground in the very corner with knees pulled very tightly against his chest and shivering as if he was freezing cold. He didn't seem well in the slightest and it immediately dampened her mood. All this because he'd missed one round of medication? She approached him cautiously and decided to get down on her knees. He wasn't asleep. Instead he was staring forlornly at the nearby wall as if in a daze. _Oh, no…Please still be responsive…_

"Auden, sweetie—

He turned to look at her and that relieved her to some degree, but the pain and sadness etched so visibly on his face took her by surprise. She couldn't understand it. Why was he still like this? Didn't the pills counteract that sort of thing?

"You're back," he said with some strain to his tone.

"What's wrong? What can I do to help?"

"You wouldn't understand. I don't want to talk about it."

"But that's all we can do. You took your medicine and you're still like this. I just don't know anymore."

"I don't either," he said despondently as he returned his gaze to the plain wall. "I do know that it's all been impossible. It's always been impossible."

"What's impossible?"

"Everything. Everything that's worth anything at all. Just impossible."

She wasn't entirely sure he was coherent, but she went along with this train of thought. "Perhaps some things are impossible, but most things are within our grasps."

"How can you say that with so much confidence?"

"Because…" she thought for a moment, but she couldn't come up with anything particularly enlightening to say. "I just know, Auden. That's how it works. You can't just think something is impossible. If you never try to reach for it, then it will always be, won't it?"

He'd turned back to her as she spoke, but now his expression darkened. "Just platitudes. Just lies we tell ourselves trying to convince ourselves that life has some sort of meaning. No one wants to admit how futile struggling is. It isn't pleasant, too uncomfortable."

"Listen, I honestly don't know what you're getting at, but I feel like I'm going around in a circle with you. Help me understand, Auden. I want to understand what it is that's going through your head right now."

She noticed that tears had begun rolling down his face. He was a mess. He parted his lips to say something, but he didn't manage to say anything even as she waited patiently. Then, she had a sneaking suspicion of what this might be about and the air grew colder between them.

"It's about that incident…back in college," she began carefully. "What those women did to you. You were never like this before. This isn't how I remembered you. You had so many goals. You had it all so planned out and you believed that you could actually _do_ all the things you set out to do. I never told you this, but I was jealous at the time because I had no idea just what I wanted for my life. But now…Seeing you like this—it's painful for me."

More tears slid silently down his face, but he finally spoke. "I was silly and naïve back then. I know better now."

She was watching him give up right now and it angered her more than anything. After the success with the program, how could he _be_ like this? Why was he sucking the joy out of his own achievement? Why was he twisting everything into something dark and depressing? She slapped a hand hard on the ground which did little more than startle him much to her irritation. He stared at her wide-eyed with fear.

"Will you just—" She had to calm herself before she continued. "You're not powerless anymore. No one is stopping you from doing what you've always wanted to do. You don't need to be like this anymore."

His eyebrows furrowed at her. Good. It was better that he was angry. It was better than what this was now.

"I am powerless. I've always been. It never changes. Always at the mercy of others and their whims, to those women, to my own sense of decency, to you."

She felt a sudden pang of guilt and she hated it. How long would he hold that over her head? "Are you putting me in the same category as those monsters?"

"I'm always at your mercy."

"You can trust me. You know that, right? I won't ever try to hurt you."

"I know."

Yet his eyes looked haunted and it was beginning to scare her. "Are you going to come out of the corner? You can't stay like this. I thought you said you didn't want to stay here." He just kept looking at her. She had no idea what he wanted from her. "At some point, Auden, you have to do something. You have to accept things as they are and move on. It's been so long since 'it' happened…"

He seemed to consider her words, but he made no movements to try and stand up. In the face of his apparent hopelessness it felt silly trying to encourage him, but that was all she could do.

"The terror I felt that night has never left me. It feels as if I'm trapped there. I don't think I'll ever be able to 'move on' as you mentioned so casually. It never feels like it happened long ago. It's always as if it happened just moments before and it always feels like it can happen again at any time."

Bulma barely managed to hold his now searing gaze. "I had no idea…"

She jumped when she heard frantic knocks on the door.

"Dad, are you in there!? You better not be in there this late!" came Aster's irate, but muffled voice behind the door.

She looked back at Auden who was also now looking at the door. He seemed to have snapped out of whatever she'd been witnessing before, he appeared more present. "Should I tell her to go away?"

He shook his head no. "It's fine. She's just worried."

"Alright," Bulma said as she climbed to her feet and made her way to the door.

"Hey!" Aster's voice shouted, "Answer me!"

"I'm coming! Hold on. Geez!" Bulma called back. She'd never seen Aster quite so demanding before. It reminded her of her own daughter.

Bulma eventually opened the door to a very upset looking Aster who instinctively had her little arms crossed; she quickly brushed passed her. By that time, Auden was already standing much to her surprise, but his eyes were red-rimmed and his clothes ruffled. If he was trying to not alarm her, he was already doing a poor job of it.

"You've been crying," Aster accused the other. "I'm taking you home, right now. I'm driving. I don't want to hear anything from you."

"Aster…"

"Dad," she said warningly.

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but then, at the last minute, decided not to. It was strange and at the same time a little sad considering how little he pushed back against her brazen behavior. Bulma wondered if she should say something.

"Listen, Aster," Bulma began. Aster's heated gaze turned to her, but Bulma was no pushover. "I asked your father to assist me and he did. He singlehandedly figured out something that I've been stuck on for months now and that is a very important project to me. We got a little carried away and time got away from us. I gave him his medication. He should be fine. There's nothing to be upset about, okay? And I've said this a million times, but he can stay here, if he wants. You don't get to decide that for him. I know you're concerned, but I can't just stand by and let you disrespect him like this."

Aster frowned at her. Bulma noticed that Auden hadn't taken his eyes off of Aster since she stepped into the room.

"You got what you wanted from him. We're going home," Aster said in a somewhat calm, but obviously filled with sizzling anger tone. She didn't even bother asking if Auden agreed or not.

Bulma looked at him trying to get his attention until finally she just addressed him. "Auden, I don't know what the hell this is, but it's not healthy."

"She knows perfectly well how to drive," he said glancing at her. "It's fine."

"It's _not_ fine," Bulma said.

"You're standing in the way," Aster said matter-of-factly. She seemed so reassured now since she knew she was getting her way.

Though Bulma didn't like it one bit, she decided there was little else she could do—she stepped aside and allowed them to leave with Aster, of course, taking the lead.

"Auden," Bulma said quickly when he was passing her on his way out. Thankfully, he acknowledged her. "What the hell?"

"It's getting late," he said wearily. "If you need me, you can always call. Sorry for all the trouble."

She wanted to say that it was no trouble at all, but she knew it would be a lie and she knew that he knew that it would be a lie. "Alright…" she said finally as she watched him leave.

They went out a side entrance. Bulma couldn't help but think that this entire day had ended in shambles. She felt like she needed to do something, but she couldn't think of anything. Auden was not okay. She knew that for certain. She'd already known that. Today had just made it much more crystal clear. Unlike every other issue in her life, however, there was no new contraption or invention that could fix the problem.

She couldn't help but feel relieved that there was now a path to victory as far as finding New Namek. In a matter of months, the planetary radar would be able to pinpoint the location and give her coordinates. The rest was easy. CC had plenty of spaceships to choose from. Just like that, her worry was replaced with the feelings of success. It was such an easy transition of emotions. Imagining an instance in which that wasn't true…it seemed unfathomable. She had no idea what it might feel like to be trapped forever in spiraling, darkening thoughts and always pretending as if that wasn't the case. Whenever she was upset or sad or angry, she'd step away from whatever was causing her to feel that way and then later, sometimes without having to do anything significant at all, she was just able to cope. She just moved on to the next thing. It wasn't something she necessarily controlled, she realized. This was why it had felt a little futile if not belittling when all she could suggest was that he 'moved on'. Her ability to do so was something built in, undamaged, and always working behind the scenes. She really had no useful advice for someone like Auden and that troubled her.

* * *

 **AN** : I had to finish this or else I'd get nothing else done today.


	7. A Day Off

**Auden laid sprawled in his bed unwilling to climb out of it for the day.** He was tired and nothing that he had planned that day held any interest. He wasn't particularly upset or sad about anything, but the idea of sleeping in sounded extremely tempting. It likely had something to do with the fact that he'd gotten home in the early hours of the morning.

Precisely at 8 in the morning, he heard a knock on the door. He knew it was Aster coming to remind him to take his medication. While he hated raising his voice, it was better than actually getting up to open the door or better yet, Aster strolling in as she usually did.

"Dad? Are you awake yet?"

"I already took them. Don't worry," he called to her wearily.

"Are you sure?" she asked loudly.

"I'm pretty sure," he said back amused.

"Okay, you better not be lying!"

He didn't bother dignifying this with an answer, but he hadn't taken his pills yet. He was about to do it anyway. There was always some stale bottle of water nearby on the dresser and his pills were tucked away in the drawer. With a groan, he rolled over to his side and quickly got the whole thing over with. From there, he didn't want to do anything else other than relax. He allowed his eyes to close as he took in the minute sounds around him.

It would probably be a good idea to let one of his supervisors know that he wouldn't be in today. He waited another half hour to do so which was still before he usually came in. He would give himself two days to recover from what had occurred yesterday.

A little while later, he heard the tiny footsteps of Aster approaching the door. He had no idea what her plans generally were in the middle of the week, but he assumed she didn't spend much time in the apartment. Today was different, he supposed.

"Dad?" came her questioning voice again through the door—this time her tone was softer.

He heard the door to his room creak open. "Yes, honey," he answered wearily.

"You're skipping work today?" she asked concerned. "Are you okay?" She slipped into the room and made her way in until she was standing before him.

"I'm fine."

"You say that a lot even when you're not," she accused him softly.

Her voice sounded so sad, but he was no good at cheering people up. "I don't like it when people worry over me."

"It's just me, Dad. I'm the only one who worries about you." She was quiet for a few moments before continuing. "Why do you just…give up sometimes? Why do I keep having to remind you about things you already know to do?"

"It's always a struggle, Aster, you know that. I don't always make the right choices."

"You hate taking your pills, don't you?"

"It's so tedious," he answered wearily.

"Is that all it is? Just tedious? This is your life we're talking about."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. I'll try not to do that again. I should be more vigilant."

"Promise me you won't do that again."

"I can't promise that."

"Dad!" Her voice raised a little, but she took a deep breath trying to remain civil. "Please give me something, then. Something more than just 'try'."

"That's all I can give you," he answered heavily. His eyes were still closed.

She stood there in silence likely just watching him, debating with herself what she should say next. "Should I stay with you today? I don't think you should be alone."

He sighed at this. He didn't exactly want her hovering over him all day. "I promise you, Aster, for today, I'll be on my best behavior—but I would like to spend some time to myself."

"You really promise?"

"Yes."

"Really, _really_ promise?"

"How old are you again? Geez."

Aster tsked. "I'm just making sure. I'll give you some space today, but I'll be checking up on you, okay? Please answer your phone."

"I'll do my best."

She didn't leave immediately, but he didn't care either way. Not going into work today was relieving enough.

"Dad, is that therapist really working for you?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"But what about yesterday? I know it's important to stay on track, but why does it always go to shit whenever you miss one?"

"I wasn't so great yesterday. I screwed up. But I know what I did wrong. And…she knows now."

"Bulma? What does she know?"

"Something I should have told her about ages ago. Nothing for you to worry about though."

"Doesn't your therapist say to talk about things to people? Well, you can tell me anything."

"She says something to that extent, but that's not the same as putting everyone's personal information out there and especially not to nosy, little girls."

"Dad! I'm just trying to be helpful."

"I understand. It would be nice to self-reflect today, if a certain someone wasn't distracting me from that all day."

"Okay, I got your message loud and clear," she said with a sigh.

"Thank you."

"Any plans today?"

"Not really. I might try to make dinner tonight, but no promises."

"Well, make enough for three. I'm gonna' bring Jensen over."

"Jensen? And you weren't even going to ask your poor Dad if that was okay?"

"Is it okay?"

If his eyes were open, he would have rolled them, but he was far too relaxed to really get up in arms. In general, he rarely became upset over Aster and he never felt a need to. "Of course," he answered wearily. It was probably for the best as he'd never once met Jensen before. They were both glossing over this fact and Auden did not feel like pointing it out.

"Alright, well, I'll keep in touch," she said as she made a quick retreat out of the room.

A small grin came to his face. She was trying to escape before she was grilled with more questions. So be it. For as long as he'd known her, he was never made aware of anyone she was dating. In fact, he was fairly certain that she had a nonexistent love life. He'd say the same about himself or at the very least, it was difficult dating anyone with Aster always there to discourage him every step of the way. She seemed to still think he was somehow dating Pan. It wasn't even the 'dating' part she had an issue with, but the idea that he would even have a relationship with anyone outside of her. Aster was distrusting of people in general. She'd always seen the world that way from the moment he'd adopted her and he'd not changed her opinion. If anything, he was beginning to see where she was coming from.

For some reason, she hadn't closed the door on her way out—he could clearly hear when the front door closed indicating her departure for the day. Aside from making dinner, he truly had no plans and that was all for the better. He turned to lay on his back.

He wasn't sure if he'd actually helped Bulma in her endeavor yesterday, but he could remember vividly the code he'd written. It should work in its present form barring any unforeseen circumstances. He was satisfied with what he'd produced and there was nothing more he could think to change or optimize. It would be nice to receive some sort of confirmation, but he dreaded the thought of actively calling her. Maybe later.

He thought of some lingering chores that still needed to be done around the house, new places that had opened up in town that he was curious about, and how nice the weather was these days and how much he enjoyed this time of year. Rarely, did he have to deal with allergies and he felt sorry for those who did. He felt even more sorry for those who worked at jobs demanding that employees still come in while sick or else be fired. Of course, this was never put into written words, but he was well aware of jobs that fired employees simply because they missed too many days of work sick or not. It was disgusting to ponder over. Humans were nothing more than a commodity to be worked as hard as possible to make the most profit for their respective companies. Such things as salaries or wages were considered liabilities for any business—the less liability, the more profit. Before being given a job at CC, these dynamics were more obvious. The wealthiest people in the world did not work as hard as those who worked over 40 hours a week on multiple jobs, yet people equate wealth with hard work. It is somehow normal to think that a person could actually be worth billions of dollars, that a billionaire is in fact not leeching money off the backs of the thousands of other workers under them and are somehow considered 'self-made'. The idea that one could profit off of someone else's work was the very definition of leeching and underpaying—there would be no profit otherwise if that wasn't the case and the entire system, at least as it was now, would fall apart. Abuse was built into the foundations of the economic system they were under. But these were societal problems he was in no position to change. He couldn't even take care of his own problems.

Maybe that was a bit harsh, but he did still depend on medication—a lot of it—to maintain mental stability. There had to be a better way. Well, perhaps there didn't _have_ to be a better way, but it was nice to envision that that method existed somewhere. It all depended on him, at the end of the day, and that was the main issue. It was based on how he responded to medication. It was based on how engaged he was in the therapy and how much he trusted the therapist. It was based on his own self-confidence of which he had very little. He was fairly certain that this was the case. Of course, having a job, keeping it, and getting the impression that his employees appreciated him was helpful. His therapist had long since pointed that out and reminded him of it. That was a demonstrable strength he could take credit for among other things. He wondered why he wasn't so impressed with this. Anyone could be a decent supervisor. Sure, he'd known and experienced supervisors who weren't that way, but that didn't mean that such a job was difficult. And he wasn't entirely sure if he was still employed purely based off his performance. He was aware that his 'friendship' with Bulma must have some effect. To be honest, that friendship was completely based on the fact that she'd helped him and nothing more. He knew he'd feel much worse about himself if he made no attempt at repaying her and cut ties with her. But at what point could he say that he'd actually repaid her? It was completely subjective.

He wondered about Chi-Chi for the first time since meeting her. She was someone he kept in the back of his mind waiting for a quiet moment like this to ponder over all the qualities about her that he'd managed to notice. It was difficult to put into words why, but he was already obsessed with her. Could it be her mystique? Could it be her comical resistance to modern technology? Could it be her frankness or the undeniable sense of wisdom he'd felt from her? There was something about her…His mind went over the entire exchange he'd had with her. He'd felt so comfortable around her like he'd already known her. That certainly wasn't the norm when meeting people. He would often have to police his own nerves and say prepared phrases to get through the awkwardness.

What was she doing now? What back-breaking chore was she engaging in today? Was she somewhere totally neglected and alone, quietly maintaining the house? Did she ever truly look forward to doing something when she woke up in the morning? He wondered if he should call her. He wanted to, but he wasn't sure who would pick up the phone. The idea that Gohan might answer troubled him more than anything else. He'd been agreeable thus far, but now he was calling his house to speak to his mom who likely never received calls from anyone. He did say that he believed him when Auden said that he had no designs on his daughter. Still, the very fact that anyone was thinking along those lines made it much worse now, if he was interested in reaching out to Pan's grandmother. He wished things had happened differently, but the way Chi-Chi spent so much time hidden away from the world—the way they met was probably the _only_ way he would have met her. The world was chaotic, cruel and benevolent all in the same breath. It seemed the randomness inherent in life was now swinging in his favor for once. What would he have done had he never met her like that? He'd probably still be vying for Pan's attention despite the fact that she'd become less attentive to his texts as of late.

He continued to lie in full indecision of whether to call or not. Maybe he should call later? But then if he called too late, that also wouldn't send a good message. Did she go to bed before or after everyone? Did she wake up before everybody? Maybe, maybe not. Those who lived there had jobs as well and who knew how early they needed to be awake for those things.

His ringing phone snapped him out of his thoughts. The caller ID read "Chi-Chi's house". It was as if someone had been privy to his thoughts all this time and had simply made the decision for him. He answered quickly before his anxiety got the better of him.

"Hello?" he asked as pleasantly as possible.

"Auden? This is Chi-Chi."

"Oh," he said with surprise.

"Yep, it's me. I know it's spur of the moment and kinda early, but do you want to go to the movies?"

Was this a date already? Chi-Chi was being so straightforward. He found that he liked that. "You're right, it _is_ early. Is it really that urgent?"

"Well, for me it is. It's the best time to go. Sometimes you even get the whole theater to yourself! But there's this movie that just came out and I've been asking people to take me, but everyone's just too busy and I'm just annoying to everybody so you're my last resort."

"Your last resort?" he teased.

Chi-Chi laughed at this. It was a beautiful laugh and it was doing things to his heart. He didn't really mind being her last resort or middle resort or first resort… "I know, it sounds kinda' bad, but are you interested?"

"You know I don't live down the street, right?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right. You live near Pan, right? Out in West Capital. I guess…this was a bad idea then. I mean, I don't want to force you to drive for that long—"

"It's fine. I just so happen to have the day off. I wouldn't mind going to the movies. I haven't been in a long time. To be honest, mornings are great for movies."

"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. So, how long is it going to take you?"

"A few hours. Luckily, it'll still be early since the sun has barely come out."

"Well, don't let me keep you. Get here as fast as you can. I'll be waiting for you."

"Yes, ma'am." He wondered if she could hear the amusement in his tone.

They hung up after that. He hadn't felt like crawling out of bed today, but now he was rushing to get himself together so he could be out on the road already. He had to calm down midway through his usual morning ritual to collect himself. He made a small breakfast. Then he made sure he took enough medication with him. Soon he was edging out into the main street with his car. By the time he was on the interstate, he was a speeding a little over the limit—something he'd never done before. The giddiness was getting to him. This time, the drive over felt like it lasted an eternity and he was relieved when he finally made it into the city.

The driveway only had two cars this time as he pulled up. He sat a few moments in his car to calm his racing heart before making his way leisurely to the front door. He knocked and waited for an answer. He wondered if he should have called to let her know that he had arrived, but there was always the off chance that—

"Oh, hey—didn't know you were dropping by," Gohan said opening the door.

"H-Hi," Auden said clearly embarrassed.

"You're good with computers, right?"

"Well—

"My desktop has been on the fritz for weeks now and this morning it won't even bootup all the way. Do you mind taking a look at it—if it's not too much trouble?"

"Sure, of course," Auden replied though, in reality, he really didn't feel like doing that. He hoped it wouldn't take too long, but there were a dozen and one reasons why a computer would stop booting up properly and not all of them had easy solutions.

He followed Gohan through the house down into the den he'd seen the stairs to last time. The den had been turned into a lab. It was far more pristine than Bulma's place—the air seemed sterile as well, reminding Auden immediately of a hospital. The floors were white and tiled and what looked like medical equipment were behind cases and storage units. In the back was a hefty-sized computer; an old model. It seemed more like a terminal than a desktop, but he'd yet to see it in action.

"Have you told CC about it?" Auden finally asked once they arrived.

"I sent in a work order last week. I guess they're just dragging their feet on that. Don't you work in that department?"

"Not for these sorts of issues. We deal more with data management."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's a good thing you randomly decided to show up. What I'm working on is _really_ important."

 _They all say that…_ "I'm sure it is," he said as he took out his phone. "So let's turn it on and see what happens."

Gohan did so and they watched as the computer slowly went through its routine processes.

"Is it usually this sluggish?" Auden asked.

"Always. I turn it on first whenever I come down here—it takes almost half an hour for it to finish."

"Why not get a newer model?" Auden asked.

"Because…well, I would hate to just throw away a good, working computer and this was the first one I ever got all those years ago. We have history," he finished with a good-natured laugh.

"A computer becomes both useless and vulnerable after five years. Even if I got this working, you'd probably run into another problem fairly quickly."

Gohan turned to him with a frown, "Exactly what CC has told me over and over again. I don't know how people can just throw things away just because it's old—how is it useless if it still turns on? I'm guessing a guy like you wouldn't understand."

Auden sighed at this. "You're right, I don't. But you're not the first person I've met who's grown overly attached to inanimate objects." He was already looking at his phone again accessing the computer's OS which was also old, but clearly not as old as the computer itself. The OS probably couldn't be updated past this point due to structural limitations.

"It's not like…" Gohan paused probably thinking better on his response. "Yeah, I know, I'm being silly, but I really would hate having to get rid of it. Mom and I saved up a lot of money just to get this and it was a big deal at the time." He looked distant as his mind was likely reminiscing.

"Maybe you're looking at this in the wrong way. When someone is at the end of their life and there's no way around it, would it not be more considerate to simply allow them a fitting end or continue to artificially prolong their suffering? Devices like these aren't simply thrown away—its parts are recycled and put to better use."

"Now that is a difficult question especially since there's always a chance that someone could make a recovery."

"I don't think it's right to assume something like that considering that something alive must always die. We _can_ say that there is always a chance that someone doesn't make a recovery."

"That's true…"

"Alright, turn it off and try to turn it on again."

"Oh, you fixed it, already?" Gohan asked with some excitement.

"I don't know. We'll have to see if there's some other underlying issue."

The computer sprang to life this time and quickly transitioned to the welcome screen again in record time.

"Wow, it hasn't moved like this since I first got it. What did you do?" he asked impressed.

"There was a virus that had taken hold of your computer, but it doesn't seem too serious. The information on the device is still safe."

"I had no idea—and I've been being extra safe with this thing. I know it's pretty vulnerable, but I still have anti-malware on it and CC has the best on the market."

"Even if CC didn't, I'm sure they'd still claim they did," Auden said sardonically. "I'm going to install something a little better." He pressed send on his cellphone to instantly download the new software.

"Better than what I already have?" Gohan asked incredulously. "I bet it costs an arm and a leg and you're giving it to me for free?"

"Don't worry, it's something I made myself, but I really didn't change the interface or the logo."

Auden said this as the familiar CC logo popped up on the screen and commenced to installing.

"That sounds pretty exclusive—glad I asked for your help."

"Before you ask—I did send updates to their software, but the director in that department wasn't particularly fond of my meddling. Anyways, you now have the most powerful anti-virus program on your computer. Perhaps the amount of issues your computer has will decrease. Just make sure to keep it updated."

"Wait, you're going to be personally updating the software?"

"It's not so incredible. I'm just going to copy and paste code from CC's official version as well as add my own manipulation."

"I feel like I should be paying you or something."

"Don't worry about it. It's just something I like to do on my free time."

Auden watched as Gohan clicked through a few menus and started up some programs. "You've taken decades off this computer's life. It's officially a miracle. Now it makes more sense when Bulma called me earlier about what you did with the planetary radar. She could barely contain her excitement."

"News gets around fast. I had no idea."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much at her beck and call. Welcome to the club," he said laughing.

"So, you're working on the same thing Bulma is? Trying to find the dragon balls?"

"Not quite. She has that completely covered and it's not like I could have helped her much on that anyway. I'm working on something else entirely. A federal agency commissioned CC once again on a case that's been bubbling under the surface for some time now—they kinda' had to since they'd hit a brick wall in their investigation. There've been strings of food contamination cases all across the world. They've taken samples, studied it, but they still have no idea where these products are being compromised and the number of incidents keep increasing now more steadily."

Auden's eyebrows furrowed at this. "All this is happening, and no one's informed the general public?"

"It would cause pandemonium, no doubt. We just don't have enough information yet nor do we even know how it's effecting people and to what extent. They've already recalled brands with the worst of it, but compromised products have appeared all across the spectrum and not just in consumables."

"Well, what do you know?"

"About the contaminants? Well, I've been studying these substances in the lab and I've had some breakthroughs. It seems to be able to take hold of DNA material and permanently change its structure. As far as I can tell, it can potentially lead to some subtle and not so subtle side-effects. Headaches, insomnia, increased aggression, increased appetite, increased risk of heart attack, increased strength, and in some cases infertility."

"Why does this sound like synthetic testosterone like steroids?" Auden asked as he listened intently.

"It does, but that's apparently not what this substance is. In my opinion, it seems like a mix between a virus and a stimulant. I've never seen anything like it before. But again, you have to have consumed this in a high amount and there hasn't been a case where that's happened."

"But it permanently changes one's DNA?"

"Yes. By the time I was assigned this case, most people had already been affected in some way unbeknownst to them. It stinks, I know. But there's not much we can do about it."

"And should I be worried? What's the risk levels in West Capital?"

"Oh that place got hit the worst, sorry. They've been working on stopping this for a while so they probably have a handle on it by now, but we still don't know the origins of all of this. We _really_ need to figure this out."

"Maybe I should start growing my own food," Auden said shaking his head slowly.

Gohan looked at him sympathetically. "See what I mean? This could really start a panic and we'd be no closer to figuring out what's happening. You seem fine though. The worst is already over so they say."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you alright? Have you checked if it's done anything to you?" Auden asked.

"I did actually, but I should have known that this wouldn't have an effect on me."

Auden looked at him confused.

"Nevermind that. Just thought I might inform you about my current assignment."

"It sounds absolutely terrifying. Why exactly are you telling me all this privileged information?"

"Well, you already know about the dragon balls," he said with a shrug, "And I'm sure Bulma has you on her speed dial now the way you helped her last time. Hopefully I don't need to tell you this, but this should stay between us. I'm hoping it all goes away just as quietly as it came."

"How are you so calm about this?"

"I'm doing all I can to address the issue," Gohan said, "Which is more than what I usually do these days. For all intents and purposes, this all sounds bad, but nothing has really happened. Effected individuals have experienced no changes in their wellbeing. CC was told about this based off a routine check of food products and there was an anomaly that they couldn't make heads or tails of. I studied it as much as I could to finally tease out some negative side-effects. Aside from the DNA, nothing else will come of it since you need the contaminants in extremely high doses to have noticeable side-effects."

"That's somewhat relieving…"

"Yeah, I'm crossing my fingers that this isn't anything too serious."

Auden watched as Gohan had sat down at the computer—he'd already began typing in earnest. From the little he could make out on the screen, it appeared to be the beginning of a report summary of some kind.

"Well," Auden said after a moment. "If that's all you need from me, I think I'll take my leave."

"Okay," Gohan replied clearly preoccupied, "Oh and thanks again."

Auden slipped out of the lab before Gohan decided to ask him why he was even there in the first place.

"Auden? There you are. I saw your car outside, but didn't see you anywhere," Chi-Chi's voice said from behind him.

He turned to her with some surprise though relieved that he didn't have to go searching for her. He might have eventually ran into Videl.

"I was helping your son with a little problem."

"You mean with that junk computer he keeps down there?"

Auden grinned at this. "It's a piece of junk that might now survive a couple more years."

"Wait, you fixed it?"

"More or less."

"Good. I was getting tired of him complaining about it at every dinner! CC was _really_ dragging their feet on that."

"I have a feeling there was a reason behind that, but it doesn't matter now."

"You're here for five minutes and I'm already glad I called."

Chi-Chi looked a little different today. She was wearing two hairpieces on the sides to push back her hair and dark red lipstick that added a bit of sheen to her lips.

"You look beautiful," Auden said.

She laughed at this. "Oh please, you don't have to try and butter me up. You're doing _me_ a favor. I hate going to the movies alone."

"Well then, let's go while the day is still young."

He stepped aside to allow her to take the lead—she seemed all too happy to oblige. As she walked past him, he followed.

"Here I was thinking I'd have to wait until much later or watch it on TV somewhere. Thanks for actually coming."

"It was no problem."

"Well, still, you drove for hours for little ol' me. Don't think I haven't noticed."

They made their way out of the house and eagerly climbed into the car.

"So which movie theater? There's a few of them nearby."

"I want the one with recliners—Century Cinema."

"Century Cinema it is," Auden said as he tapped it into the GPS.

"Oh, you don't need that," Chi-Chi said referring to the GPS, "I'll tell you where to go."

"Alright," he said as he paused his quick tapping motions on the touchscreen dashboard. "If we get lost, it's all on you," he teased.

She snorted. "Don't worry, I know where I'm going."

"Says the lady who admits that she doesn't go out much."

"I only go to the movies or to the grocery store if anywhere."

"Nowhere else?"

"Well…maybe a couple other places."

She didn't divulge him on just what that was, and he didn't push her to answer. Instead, he focused on driving as he carefully pulled out of the driveway. He waited patiently for her instructions as he slowly made his way to the intersection. He wasn't really comfortable driving in an area he wasn't familiar with no GPS to help. From his experience, relying on someone else was nerve-racking since people often waited until the last minute to tell you to turn left or right. Yet here he was. He didn't usually drive this slow, but today he would to assuage his growing anxiety.

Auden sighed when they made it all the way to the intersection and she hadn't said anything. Her eyes seemed glued to the window on her side. "Left or right," he asked as politely as he could muster.

"Oh, sorry—make this right," she said as if he was disturbing her thoughts.

"Please, Chi-Chi, we might end up driving into a ditch if you keep this up."

"Yeah, yeah," Chi-Chi replied slightly annoyed. "Now I see why you like your GPS—you don't like getting lost."

"I think most people don't like getting lost."

Chi-Chi chuckled at this. "Well, we're not in a rush, right?"

"Apparently not. But you did say you wanted to get there sometime this morning."

"Geez, it's not _that_ bad. It takes maybe an hour or two to drive through this whole city."

"Without traffic, maybe."

"I try to avoid traffic."

"I find traffic to be mostly unavoidable."

"Well, go early or very late."

"I don't always have the luxury. Like now."

"I guess it is getting towards the afternoon."

As soon as they made it out of the neighborhood, they were faced with traffic that was just beginning to slow down to a snail pace. Auden glanced over at Chi-Chi who was back to observing the outside world through the side window.

"You really don't get out much, do you? Not even to the movies, not even for groceries."

"I end up walking sometimes, but my family likes to just get things for me so I don't have to bother going somewhere. I mostly just feel like a burden on everyone so it doesn't seem right to make them take me places just because I'm bored."

"Walking? So far, things seem quite spread out and I don't see a lot of sidewalks."

"I noticed pretty quickly that this city isn't very friendly to pedestrians. Guess that's city life for you."

"Correction, Satan City isn't friendly to pedestrians. West Capital is. The infrastructure here isn't nearly has well-thought out or innovative."

"Of course, you know the tiny difference between this or that city. It's all noisy and crowded."

"Well, they both have a lot of traffic—this isn't as bad as back home though."

Chi-Chi giggled a little at this. "Back home," she repeated almost to herself. "When I hear that phrase, I think of something a lot more quiet and intimate."

"I can only imagine. You haven't told me where to go in a while, by the way."

"You're going the right way."

"Really?" he said half-believing.

"Yep, didn't even have to say anything. Seems your instincts of just going to the main street and going straight down was right. Who knew?"

"Well, you're forcing me to guess. All this mystery is completely unnecessary."

"So long as we don't drive into a ditch, we'll be fine."

Auden hadn't heard of Century Cinema before. It was likely a small chain if it was one at all. Knowing Chi-Chi, it was probably something small and personable. He didn't expect it to be at the nearby town center that was coming up. Maybe it was somewhere further along in a shopping center. They had to sit through quite a few stop lights along the way.

"Is the turn coming up soon?" Auden asked once they were past the town center.

"Yes, actually. On the next turn coming up."

"Left or right?" he asked this time not disguising his impatience.

"What do _you_ think?" she asked with some mischief in her tone.

"Left," he said noticing that the right seemed to be leading into a residential area.

"Hm, it's like you know this place already."

"For a GPS, you're not very forthcoming," he said turning on his left signal.

Chi-Chi chuckled again. "See? You can just use your instincts especially if you've lived your whole life in cities; it shouldn't be _that_ difficult to figure out where things are even if you haven't been there before."

"Maybe, but I would prefer less guessing."

"You should trust yourself more."

Auden glanced over at her again, but she hadn't even been looking his way. She seemed enthralled with the moving world around her. He had to look around for the sign since it was obvious to him that she'd likely answer his question of "where" with another one of her own. It was stress-inducing, but they were nearly there and this little ordeal was almost over. He had to make a few turns as the shopping center was vast and had different sections, but eventually he found the huge parking lot of the theater with only a few cars occupying it.

"We're here," he said after deciding on an arbitrary parking space not even bothering to ask where she preferred him to park.

"Huh? Oh, yes, we made it." She seemed in her own little world and he'd taken her out of it at least for the time being. "I really like that you don't turn on music or anything just on a side note. Every time I go out with the family, they always have some wacky music selection on and we can barely hear each other talk."

"It just helps me concentrate," he said back, "But I don't mind music."

"Even still," she said opening her door.

He climbed out of the car as well, glad to have made it in one piece. Once she closed her door, he locked them with his key before joining her on the long trek to the entrance.

"I forgot to ask you—what movie did you want to see?"

"You'll see," she said with a smile.

"Another unnecessary mystery? We're about to buy tickets anyway."

"I already bought tickets."

"Oh," he said in subtle surprise.

"Gohan got them for me so I don't have to fumble around with cards and money."

"Well, did you want anything to eat? Popcorn, candy?"

Chi-Chi shook her head no. "I just want to watch a movie. We can eat afterwards, if you want."

"I'd like that," he said without hesitation.

True to her word, it was a mystery right up until they arrived at the right room. It was a romantic comedy. He should have known. This had premiered in theaters last week if he remembered right. The people who'd wanted to watch it had already done so ages ago. It didn't take long these days for movies to circulate out of the theaters. This was likely the last week it would be in. He spied her looking at him as he noted the movie title in large letters on the signage.

"So?" she asked wanting to get his opinion.

"Well, it's a movie."

"Cute. You don't like it, do you?"

"I won't know until I see it, but it's not my favorite genre."

"Oh, you're so diplomatic. You can just say you hate it. It won't hurt my feelings."

"We'll see," he said much to her annoyance. For some reason, he didn't mind her annoyance and he grinned in response.

He hadn't seen a lot of these kinds of movies, but he'd seen enough in his humble opinion. They were all quite painful to watch. Had anyone other than Chi-Chi been there beside him, he might have just left the theater a few minutes in. Is this what Chi-Chi wanted from him? Should he be more romantic? The very idea of it sounded tiring. He just wanted to be in her company. It didn't necessarily have to have some romantic subtext. From the short time he'd know her, even she didn't seem all that interested in overtly romantic things. Of course, they were at the movies together. Perhaps one could read into that, but he didn't think it was the same.

His perpetual tiredness did nothing to help him actually sit through more than a quarter of the movie. He was already fighting with his eyelids not to close completely. Whenever he glanced over at Chi-Chi, she seemed to have her full attention on the screen. Why wouldn't she? It was a huge screen and the biggest thing sitting directly in front of them with bright flashing lights. Yet he couldn't find the energy to even pay attention to what was happening. The dialogue that droned on and on turned into a pleasant lullaby. There was some argument happening—it reminded him of something, but he couldn't think of what. He could hear distant voices. It was his mother's voice or what he assumed was her voice, he really had no idea what she sounded like anymore. There was a striking familiarity with it. Then a heavy, male voice which seemed similar to his own yelled back with overwhelming fervor drowning out the woman's voice. He couldn't decipher the words. He was too young, and they were talking too fast. It all felt nostalgic. Someone was holding him. He was in someone's lap, his father's lap. He could feel the electric environment around him yet he felt safe and unbothered. He heard one sentence clearly.

"I told you to go put him upstairs!"

He felt someone nudging him. He ignored it at first, but then it became more insistent. "Auden? Movie's over," came Chi-Chi's voice.

"Hm?" he said tiredly. It was a struggle opening his eyes again. He'd probably been moments away from really falling asleep.

"Come on, let's go," she said climbing out of the chair. She stretched a little and he heard a few of her bones cracking. "Ugh, sitting in one place for too long does _wonders_ for me."

It took him a moment to catch his bearings. Waking up in such a public place was jarring and the room was still dark albeit a little less so since the credits were rolling. He yawned despite himself. "Sorry about that—

"No need to apologize," she said laughing. "I had a blast and my husband would have done way worse than you. We made it through the whole thing without you annoying me to death."

"Sounds like a low bar."

"He would have needed tons of food to get him through a two-hour long movie and that's _if_ you could get him to sit down and that's even _if_ you can explain what a movie is in the first place and that's even _if_ you can drag him away from training for more than a few seconds."

"Well, he seems interesting."

"Like I said, you did far better."

When he climbed out of the chair, he was a little light-headed and as they stepped out of the theater, the world appeared strange around him as it always did after watching a movie. Even though he hadn't seen much of it, the same effect still applied. Auden could sense Chi-Chi's good mood as he had to constantly move faster keep up with her pace.

She turned to him moments before making it past the sidewalks, pausing in her giddy pace. "I think I forgot to say it but thank you for taking me to the movies. You came all this way just for me and I know that you didn't have to do any of this."

"The pleasure was all mine," he said readily.

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"No, I really mean it," he insisted. "I know it sounds cliché, but it describes what I'm thinking. I suppose we haven't done very much today—even still."

"I think I might just believe you," she said observing him quietly. "Which is incredible since, you said it, we haven't done anything really. Hanging out with someone like this—I'm not used to it. Whenever I tried to do something like this with my husband something would always come up or he'd find every silly way to get out of it. You're nothing like that."

"One of my favorite parts of the day is when you start comparing me to your husband."

She looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, you probably don't like that, but I think about him a lot. Since the day he decided to leave, I'm always wondering if he's doing okay or if he's even alive."

"Do you still love him?" he asked in neutral tones.

"Yes," she said looking at him squarely. "Is that a dealbreaker for you?"

"I was just wondering. I wasn't aware I was involved in some sort of deal. Besides, I think people are capable of loving more than one person at once. Monogamy is overrated."

She seemed to be left in shock even as he made movements towards the parking lot. After two steps, she snapped out of it and caught back up with him.

"What is this? Are you 'edgy' Auden now?" she teased. "I know I don't know you that well, but that seemed completely left field."

"I think I prefer 'city boy'. I'm not very edgy. Just from observing people from afar, I know people end up being attracted to far more than just one person and then struggle trying to convince themselves that they _must_ choose one. They can _only_ be fulfilled by one person and not another. We all know that that's clearly not the case, but societal norms force them to choose or face the consequences."

"It's almost like you were secretly watching the movie. I think you're right though. I could never see myself in that situation though. Goku was my first and only."

"Don't you think it's a little short-sighted?—especially since you have no idea what the future holds or the people you might meet."

Chi-Chi snorted at this. "Don't think I don't see what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"I don't know what you think this is, but we are just two adults enjoying a movie together."

"I wouldn't call it that, but I don't see why we have to put labels on anything."

"What would you call it?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. I'm just glad you got to do something you otherwise wouldn't today and that I got to spend some time with you."

"That last part…" She let the sentence hang in the air.

"Yes?" he asked urging her to finish her thought.

"If that's really all you want, then maybe I can persuade you to take me somewhere else."

"Of course. I have all day."

"First off, are you hungry?"

"Not particularly."

"Great, I wasn't either. It's just…Well, I won't bring him up again—"

"There's no need to censor yourself. If you want to talk about him, then I want to hear about him."

Chi-Chi laughed at this. "Yeah, right. I know you're just being nice."

"Where did you want to go?" he asked refocusing the conversation.

"There's a park I haven't been to in ages. I just want to walk around there a bit, well, however long you're willing to anyway."

"Let's go then. The weather's nice today."

"R-Really?"

His eyebrows furrowed a little in confusion. "Why not?"

By now they'd made it back to the car and were talking to each other on either side of it.

"You don't seem like a 'park' kind of guy. I can picture you somewhere inside messing around with some sort of computer."

"Usually, but not all the time. I'm not opposed to some change in scenery." Auden took this moment to open the car door and slip in. He waited for Chi-Chi to do the same.

She climbed into the seat beside him. "Well, good, I didn't want to take you too far out of your comfort zone."

"Hm, I've been trying to expand my comfort zone as of late."

Chi-Chi looked at him questioningly. "Oh? Some sort of midlife crisis?"

"No, just a determination that hadn't been there before. One has to start somewhere."

"Now that's a gentle way of putting it," she teased. "Alright, so this park I want to go to—I actually have no idea how to get to it or the address."

"Just tell me what it's called."

"Wait, that's all you need?"

"That's all. I'll do the rest."

"The wonders of technology. Dyer's Park."

Auden quickly input this into the GPS, having to eventually change the spelling, before located what was possibly Chi-Chi's destination—she couldn't even remember if it was inside the city limits or not.

"Doesn't it feel like we're on an adventure now? We have no idea if we're going to the right place."

"You like getting lost, don't you?"

"It's all part of the fun. Everyone's always in a rush and it doesn't have to be that way. All that pent-up stress always needing to be somewhere at some particular time. I don't know how people do it all their lives."

"Nothing would ever get done otherwise. Have you ever thought about the people who constantly waste time waiting for the person unconcerned about whether they get somewhere on time? _That's_ stress-inducing."

"So, you value punctuality."

"If there's need for it, yes."

"But even if it's not, I bet you set up some sort of rough schedule in your mind that you more or less try to adhere to."

"There's only so much time in a day. I do have some plans later on."

"Like?"

"Well, I think I'll make dinner tonight for my daughter. She wants to bring over that guy she's been seeing for a while now."

"I remember those days. They always make it like some huge ordeal every time I asked about their girlfriends. I'm a perfectly reasonable person."

"Well, this would be the first time for this sort of thing. She usually likes to keep to herself."

"Oh, like you."

"She's nowhere near as bad as I am."

Chi-Chi's eyes were already glued to the passing trees of the highway. "I bet she's just as beautiful as you are."

"She takes after her mother quite a bit."

She turned quiet when he said this. It was as if she knew not to ask anything further. Frankly, he wasn't even sure why he'd even uttered the words. It was as if some part of him was willing to rip open old wounds having barely healed over in the first place. Of course, he couldn't help that his mind would always return to the trauma at some point each day.

Chi-Chi seemed more enthralled with the environment outside and he let the matter rest. He looked at the ETA and noted that there was a half an hour left. Auden had his doubts that Chi-Chi had even been there before. This was on the edge of the city and it seemed difficult to get someone to even take her to the movies that was just five minutes away. They drove in relative silence until they made it there. Trees were already looming overhead and soon they were in complete shade as he inched through the one-way lanes to a parking spot. There were quite a few cars out there already on account of the bright, sunny day.

She looked around with a bit of a smile on her face. "You know, I'm still not sure if this is the right place, but I like it already. I bet it has hiking trails."

Tired of being in the car and enticed by the greenery beyond, he simply climbed out of the car. He wondered if he should have been better prepared for this. When it came to places like these, it always seemed like a good idea to have a bag of emergency items, but such forethought was often too tiring to follow through on.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No."

"Are you sure? I mean, we can always grab something before we go in. I don't want you to starve to death."

"I'm not hungry."

She looked at him perplexed. "Well, alright."

"Are you?" he asked outright.

"Not this early," she said.

"My thoughts exactly."

"But…Nevermind."

Without even knowing where they were headed in particular, they began on a trail that started nearby. Neither were opposed to it. Auden hadn't stretched his legs like this in some time, but as long as they kept a leisurely pace, he didn't foresee any issues.

"You really seemed concerned," he noted at last.

"Sorry, I'm just used to someone wanting food all the time."

"Your husband?" he asked casually.

"Goku couldn't get past a full thirty minutes before he was thinking about food again. I used to cook all the time and pack so much food or arrange to eat somewhere at certain times that it became second nature, at least whenever we actually hung out."

"He sounds even more interesting. Eating is such a chore. Finding all the ingredients, cooking, cleaning up, using the bathroom afterwards or wasting money at some overpriced restaurant or fast food. If I can sit down at three different meals in a day, that's a good day. The idea of snacking between meals, equally as tiring—you either plan for it or waste more time and money looking around for something to eat. And if I get too full, I'll probably just fall asleep which isn't ideal in the middle of a workday."

"Geez, you make it sound so depressing! What about good food? Don't you ever look forward to eating something nice and flavorful?"

"I do sometimes, if I can get around either cooking it or going to get it somewhere. It requires motivation I don't always have, and it just adds one more stipulation to figuring out what to eat."

"Spoken like someone who's not that good at cooking."

"It doesn't come naturally, but whenever I get around to it, I don't hear any complaints from Aster and she has no issue complaining about things."

"Well, that's something at least. I guess you don't have a lot of good memories with food then."

"I wouldn't say that. It's just not a big deal. Not on a daily basis."

"Huh," she said thoughtfully as they continued down the path. "You know, I guess I'd say the same. I feel like I'm cooking almost all the time, but by the time we're all sitting around the table to enjoy it—I'm just not up to the task. Strangely enough."

"Food tastes even better when you're not the one preparing it or it wasn't too difficult to put together."

"You might be right about that."

They walked a while without speaking. The foliage was thick around them and all he could hear were sounds of wildlife coming from every direction. It was as if the trees were alive chattering to one another especially as a persistent cool breeze shook the leaves. The heavy shade kept the climbing temperatures of the day at a reasonable level. If only he'd worn the right shoes to this little venture—he wouldn't be feeling every sharp rock he managed to step on.

"Want to race me?" Chi-Chi asked breaking the silence.

"No—

But before he could fully answer, she was already racing off and he didn't want to be left behind. Her feet moved easily over the uneven floor filled with sticks and other tree and animal droppings. He tried to keep up, but he was already losing ground. He almost fell down twice in his haphazard pursuit. Then she parted from the trail completely and led him deeper into the far less traveled section. He was beginning to see why as he struggled moving through thick, unmanaged plant life. He stumbled a few more times before losing sight of her. For a moment, he was utterly lost and surrounded on all sides by heavily vined trees. Panic was just beginning to set in, but he ignored it for the time being.

"Hey, Chi-Chi, wait up!" he called out.

Several birds shot up into the sky nearby, but he didn't hear a response. All he could do was keep going straight. He moved as fast as he could without falling flat on his face though he knew he was quickly running out of breath. His breathing was quite ragged, in fact, when in the next moment he was out of the thick foliage and in a comparative clearing. The grass was too dense for stable footing, but it wasn't as bad as before. He saw Chi-Chi in the distance further into the center much to his relief. Hopefully, she was done sprinting around as she seemed to be enjoying herself in the bright rays of the sun. Maybe this was her preferred area in the park. He wondered how she'd ever found it considering how far off the trails this was.

He made it a few steps in before deciding to simply sit down. Besides, his balance wasn't improving as he was trying to catch his breath. He was still in the shade of the trees. Her excitement could barely be contained as she frolicked about in all the open space. She was bursting with energy and completely in her element—a sharp contrast from himself.

Eventually, she acknowledged his presence and came back to sit near him. "A little out-of-shape, are we?" she teased laughing.

"Just a little." He might have laughed as well had he the breath for it.

"So how do you like it? I mean, I had no idea this was here, but I'm glad I found it."

Auden looked at her wearily. "This was just some wild goose chase? I should have known. You don't seem like the type to plan anything out."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have left you behind. I'm not _that_ inconsiderate."

"One can only wonder." His heart was still pounding but his breathing was just beginning to normalize.

"Maybe we should do this more often, you know."

"Stumbling through a forest? I think I'll pass."

"Oh, you'd get used to it. This was kind of spur of the moment. I meant jogging somewhere. I really don't get out like I used to."

" _This_ was jogging? Seemed like you were running at breakneck speeds."

This seemed to amuse her as she laughed a little louder than last time. "Someone should drag you away from your computers more often. I barely broke a sweat and this is me on a bad day." She took this moment to lie down on the grassy carpet to peer up into the sky.

"It would help if I didn't have the wrong kind of shoes on."

She glanced over at his loafers. "I bet you don't even own a pair of sneakers or boots."

As he thought about it, he realized this was true, but he didn't grace her with an answer that was likely obvious at this point. He made himself a little more comfortable as he spread his legs out before him in a direction away from Chi-Chi. He'd rather be sitting in a nice, clean chair, but he had to make do. Perhaps a blanket would have helped in this situation.

"Are you hungry yet?" she asked.

"Are you going to keep asking me that?"

"Force of habit, I guess. Now I'm worried you're starving yourself—I've probably been around too many Saiyans."

He wondered at the term 'Saiyan', but he ignored it for now. "I suppose it's getting to lunchtime. Maybe then I'll get something."

"Maybe I could make you something."

"You don't have to go through all that trouble."

"No trouble at all. I have to get back home for lunch anyways."

"What happens if you decide not to cook?"

"I'm sure they won't know what to do with themselves," she said giggling.

"They're all adults, they should be able to figure something out."

"You'd think. I know Gohan wouldn't be happy if I didn't tell him ahead of time."

"I wouldn't worry about it."

"Oho, you're telling _me_ not to worry?"

"You're right, that felt a little strange," he said amused.

Though he'd gathered himself by now, he knew he'd feel perpetually tired for the rest of the day—more tired than usual at least. Whatever reserved energy he thought he had simply disappeared in the face of rigorous activity even if it was for a few minutes.

"You know, me and Bulma talk sometimes."

He unconsciously bristled at the utterance of her name. "It's difficult for me to imagine Bulma having a friend like you."

"We just so happened to be in the same circle of friends and Goku can make friends with everyone. She ended up with Vegeta and suddenly we always had a ton of things to talk about. Anyways, she was there for me when others weren't."

"That seems like a common theme for her."

"She's a fiercely loyal friend."

"I suppose so."

"She told me about you coming to help her on one thing or another. As soon as she gets into her science talk, I kind of tune her out. I had no idea who you were at the time, all I had was a name and she told me how worried she was about you. She sort of colored my impression of you before ever meeting you. We've been hanging out for awhile and you hardly seem like the person she described, but I guess I don't know you as well as she does. Here you are completely out of your element and you seem calm and composed."

"I'm flattered anyone would bother discussing me at any length. Last time I visited her, things turned sour fairly quickly and I didn't handle things well at all. It was embarrassing."

"Oh, sorry, I don't mean to put you on the spot. I couldn't keep all this to myself."

"I took a couple days off work to recover which is why I have so much free time today. Me and Bulma have some history together—history I'd rather forget—it's not always so easy to keep my composure in front of her. I know that's not a good excuse. It didn't have to be her; it could have been anyone in which that happened. One thing just sets off another and then it seems to spiral out of control. Sorry, if I'm not being very specific."

"That's alright. I don't need any specifics. I understand. Whenever I'm left to myself, I start to think about Goku, about how I'll never see him, and how much that continues to hurt more and more every passing day and I get into a mood that I can't seem to get out of very easily. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes cooking doesn't help me at all and then everyone gets overly concerned about me. I'm not usually like that. Usually, I can hide my sadness, but sometimes I can't and my thoughts become—well, I'm too embarrassed to say it out loud. They darken to a point which scares me."

"How do you ever recover from that?" he asked.

"Well, I wake up to a bright new day and the mood has somehow lifted. It's easier to sweep whatever I'd been feeling under the rug until it creeps back on me again some other time."

"I suppose a full night's rest really does work wonders."

"I don't know what I'd do if it didn't." She sat up slowly and positioned herself directly in front of him.

She observed him silently and he wondered what could possibly be going through her mind. She seemed pensive.

"Sometimes I like to meditate as well when all else fails," she said finally.

"It's helpful to think back on past actions and figure out how you could have done things differently."

"Not quite that—I do _that_ sometimes too though. I'm talking about a more traditional form of meditation when you clear your mind of all distractions and strengthen your mental fortitude and balance your energy."

Auden looked at her questionably. "I don't think I've heard it described that way."

"Do you want to try it with me? I think it might help you."

He had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he couldn't think of a legitimate reason to refuse. He'd already admitted aloud as well as to himself on plenty of occasions that he wasn't okay. He could manage to make it through a day only if nothing triggered him in the wrong way and he still wasn't fully aware what those triggers might be. He took a chance every time he went to work and engaged in social interactions. He knew he was taking even greater risks tasking himself with doing things outside of his usual routine. He knew that Aster hated whenever he did such things, but these were the milestones he'd set out for himself. It was something his therapist seemed to focus on each session. What were his goals and how would he reach them?

"Sure, I suppose it's worth a try."

She wore a subtle grin. "And here I thought you'd brush me off as crazy. People outside of our little group tend to think that. You already know about the dragon balls so I guess you're not quite like the general public."

"These dragon balls must be quite important. Is it forbidden knowledge to even know they exist?"

"Not really. It's just that so few people do and we're the ones who've tracked them down time and time again—not me specifically, but Bulma and the gang. It has far reaching consequences."

"If they do what Bulma says they do, the possibilities seem limitless."

"There are limits but for all intents and purposes, they might as well be," Chi-Chi replied. "Now, I need you to close your eyes."

Chi-Chi had already done so. He followed in suit. She didn't say anything else for a while and he wondered if he should have been trying to "clear his mind" at this point. The constant sounds of life around them became a bit more prevalent as he waited.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"And how is that since we've barely just met?"

"You haven't given me a reason not to."

She paused before responding perhaps considering his answer. "So analytical or incredibly naïve—maybe both. Where do your feelings come in? Do you feel you can trust me?"

"They're unreliable at best, but I do feel I can trust you."

"Good. I'm just going to ask you a few questions—the same ones I ask myself every time I do this. You can come up with your own later on."

There was a longer pause here and once again the sounds of the forest overtook his senses. He wondered if this was intentional. He wondered if he should stop trying to 'figure out' how all this was working and just experience it. She _had_ just asked if he trusted her after all.

"What is something you most look forward to doing right now?"

"In this instant? Figuring out if meditation will actually affect me in some profound way."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised at that answer. What is something you don't look forward to doing right now?"

"Doing anything that requires more physical exertion. I don't think I can take much more."

Chi-Chi couldn't resist giggling at this. "Don't worry about that. No more running today. I promise we'll just _walk_ back to the car after this. Who do you trust the most?"

"You."

"Me? Do I need to remind you that we've only just—

"Yes, I know."

"But what about your daughter?"

"Aster? I know she cares about me, but I know she doesn't say certain things to me. I know that she's constantly trying to control every aspect of my life so that I remain socially isolated from anyone aside from her. I understand why she does that misguided though she may be."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you can work something out with her one day. Who do you hate the most?"

He had an answer immediately, but then couldn't bring himself to say it. They sat in awkward silence for some time.

"Out of all the people that you know," she expounded eventually.

"Is that really important?"

"I mean, not really. You don't have to say anything you don't want to."

"How do you usually answer that question?" he asked.

"The answer has been 'Goku' for many years now. It's important that I admit that to myself or else I might just burst."

"The man who you still love?"

"The very same. Life is strange sometimes, isn't it?"

Auden took a deep breath. "It's Bulma, sorry."

"No need to apologize. I know she can rub people the wrong way sometimes."

"At this point, I don't know what to do with that fact. It's just there and for some reason, it hasn't faded with time."

"Maybe it will one day, maybe it won't. Who do you—

"I'm already running out of people to answer these questions," he cut in.

"Just repeat names," she said with some amusement. "Who do you like the most?"

"You."

"Oh, stop. I thought you were taking this seriously."

"I am. I don't have a whole laundry list of people I hang out with, but even if I did, I suspect I'd have the same answer."

Chi-Chi sighed at this. "Right. Tell me, what is something you really like about yourself?"

"Well," he began thoughtfully. "That I'm able to help people with things they find too difficult to understand."

"All that techy stuff _is_ way out of my wheelhouse, yet you make it sound like it so easy to understand. What is something you really hate about yourself?"

"As much as I like having time to myself sometimes it gets pretty lonely. I know that sounds pathetic. To not have some deep connection with someone that I trust becomes increasingly trying and it makes one stupid and desperate. I'm sorry, but do we have to keep doing this? I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to do," he finished with frustration in his tone.

"I—Well, I guess that got a little personal. I'm trying to be neutral. It's good that you're being honest with yourself. That's not easy for people to do. Saying these things out loud allows you to think more clearly. There's no confusion in your mind. You know where you stand. I was just asking things that I'm usually not sure about or I fool myself into thinking that it's something other than it is."

"I do enough of this sort of thing with my therapist."

"Oh," she said apparently caught off guard by his statement.

She was either surprised that he went to a therapist or that his tone wasn't quite as friendly as it usually was. He didn't care which one was true, but he was suddenly regretting doing any of this. Why had he agreed to take her to the movies anyway? He barely knew her. He'd already admitted to trusting and liking her more than anyone else and that was truly pitiful. No one would want to spend much more time with someone like that. Without Aster, who would even care? Why was he even bothering reaching out to anyone other than her? Eventually, every person he talked to would realize how much of a waste of space he was and move on with their lives regretting ever giving him any attention whatsoever. He opened his eyes for a second to check the time—it was a few minutes passed the time he was supposed to take his pills.

"Hold on for a moment," Auden said before she could say anything else.

"Take your time."

Her eyes were still closed. He thought about turning around so that she wouldn't see, but he realized that he was done with attempting to appear somewhat appealing in her eyes. He didn't have any water so he couldn't take them all at once, but slowly he poured the pills into his hand a few at a time and forced them down his throat with help from his saliva—probably not the most pleasant thing he'd done in his life, but he was far away from water and he knew he was already spiraling.

"Okay," he said returning to his position.

"I don't know what to say—Um, I didn't mean to upset you, but I guess I kind of did. It's always hard admitting things to yourself."

"It's fine."

"It's not 'fine'. None of this is designed to make you feel comfortable. That's not what meditation is about."

Auden frowned at this, but made no comment.

"I think I've prepped you enough and being in this sort of environment helps. Now that you're clear of mind it is time for the body. Try to sense every inch of your body without moving. Feel every part of yourself without touching—your neck, your shoulders and down from there. Notice the feeling of the ground beneath you and how it interacts with your feet and legs. Notice the breeze passing through here and how it touches certain parts of you and not others. When you're clear like this, when you're acutely aware of yourself, do you feel something else just under the surface? Something that's always been there but was never told to notice? Something moving through every part of yourself. You can control that. You have authority over that energy. If you can, can you bring it forth?"

He wasn't sure if he was focusing in on the right thing, but he'd noticed it before many times in the past in very quiet moments. It never occurred to him that he could somehow 'bring it forth' or that it was something to be manipulated. He hesitated for a moment as he felt it more prominently than he'd ever had before coursing fiercely through, almost nauseatingly so. It was hard to ignore now that he knew it was there. He was trembling now from its very presence as if excited about the prospects of its full acknowledgement. He realized he was holding his breath.

"It's alright, I can already feel it," Chi-Chi said encouragingly.

Then he released it and it was like the floodgates poured open. It raged completely out of his control seeping from every part of himself. He opened his eyes and all he could see was bright yellow all around him with sparks of electricity. He tried to climb to his feet, but only wound up falling forward onto his hands.

"Kami!" he heard her exclaim in surprise. She sounded further away from him. "Try to focus it in your hand! Just focus everything into one place, okay?"

Words seemed to escape him, but he took her advice—it was the only thing he could do otherwise he had no way to even begin figuring out what was happening. _Focus, focus…_ Though it was a bit of a strain, he was able to reign all that energy into one singular point.

"Now try to bring it back—

He couldn't hold the fiery ball of energy in his hand and it shot from his grasp into the distance only to come in contact with the other end of the meadow. Then all at once, the ground began violently shaking and he lost what balance he did have. He heard Chi-Chi nearby falling to the ground though he hadn't sighted her yet. A mass of wind lifted him well off the ground and pushed him back so forcefully that he ended up colliding with a tree.

/

When he opened his eyes, the skies were already darkening. Clearly, some span of time had passed. He felt faint even as his senses slowly returned to him.

"You're awake!" Chi-Chi said excitedly. She was standing now before him with arms akimbo.

"H-How long was I out—What the hell was that?" he asked all at once.

"For hours. It's the same day. And I don't know—you tell me."

"Was that supposed to happen?"

"No way! I did the same thing with Goten and that _definitely_ didn't happen. This was just supposed to be some mild mental and body strengthening. That's all!"

He tried to climb back to his feet, but quickly realized that he'd sooner be tumbling back down to the ground if went any further. As he sat down again, he waited for the world to stop spinning around him.

"Not so quickly," she warned. "It's no rush."

"What time is it?"

"Almost seven."

"Tch, it's gonna' take me _hours_ to get back home and by then it would be well past dinner."

"You don't have to drive back today—maybe you can stay over. We have plenty of rooms."

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea," he said looking up at her now. "No offense."

"None taken. If you're so insistent though, maybe I can drive you."

"But then you'd be stuck in my city or get home really late."

"None of this is rocket science, alright?" she said squatting now. "We'll figure it out as we go. I'm more concerned about what just happened. You sure you're human, right?"

"Y-Yes," he said caught off guard by the question. "Is there some other species of humanoid beings?"

"You'd be surprised. I'm just making sure. What I saw today…" She looked out towards all the destruction in the distance. "I don't know how to say it other than it's way more than expected especially since this was your first time. I'm not all that well-versed in power levels and all that, but you must have broken some record. And your base energy seems extremely potent. I don't know what to make of it really."

"I don't know if what you said is a good or bad thing. Whatever energy I was feeling before, I'm not feeling it the same way. It's more subdued."

"I bet it is. Here, try standing again now." She held her hand to him and he took it.

This time when he climbed to his feet, his initial dizziness didn't overwhelm him, but he did stumble a little from weakness. He'd never felt this level of weakness before. It was as if he'd been overexerting himself for hours all in the span of a few moments.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I can manage walking," he said. It was becoming a little more difficult to see her in the increasing darkness. The sun had already set.

"Let's go before it gets too dark. I think the park already closed."

"Okay. I'll follow your lead."

She didn't run this time as promised. In fact, she walked slower than usual likely to accommodate his labored pace. The first few steps were somewhat manageable, but the rest of his fight through the thick forest was an uphill battle. He hoped he wouldn't lose his balance again. He knew he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon if that was the case. He was glad when they eventually made back on the path. They inched their way slowly back down the trail. He was grateful for Chi-Chi's unhurried pace.

Once in the parking lot again, Auden instinctively headed to the driver's side, but Chi-Chi insisted he take the other side. She was probably right in her sentiments, but he wasn't sure she could drive. Without bothering to voice his concerns he climbed into the passenger's side of the car. Upon sitting down, he knew he had no business behind the wheel at this point especially when exhaustion overtook him suddenly.

"So where to? Do you really want to head home or back to my place?"

"I know it sounds silly, but I really want to go back home. I won't fare very well elsewhere. Not resting at least. I can call a cab."

"Don't bother with all that. I can drive just fine. All I need is an address."

"Alright," he said no longer feeling up to analyzing why she wanted to do it this way. He told her the address and she seemed to remember it.

"I'll use the GPS," she said, "But…could you start it for me?"

"You? GPS?" he asked in surprise.

"Shut-up. I realize this is probably better than me bugging you the whole way there. Just do it before I change my mind."

Auden was already pressing the couple selections needed on the screen—his home was already programmed into the system. Soon the map was displaying directions.

"Good. Now all you gotta' do is relax. I'll take you home."

"But what about you?"

Chi-Chi sighed exasperatedly. "I'll take a cab back, of course. I know they'll really want me back."

"Fine, alright—I just wanted to make sure."

"Must you plan everything?"

"Sorry."

"It's alright."

The car being on, she finally decided to back out of the parking lot. She seemed to be a careful driver and she was likely quite rusty. He couldn't relax until they were out on the highway again. By that time, he couldn't resist closing his eyes in utter exhaustion. It was nice to finally give in.

The next time he was opening his eyes, he felt the car slowing down and his surroundings were familiar. He was back in West Capital.

"Had enough of your beauty rest? You're right on time."

The car was pulling up into the parking space. It was a little ways from where he usually parked, but he wasn't too concerned about this. Hours has passed in seconds. The second half of the day was becoming quite the blur. He groaned in his slowly subsiding bleariness. He heard as she opened the door on her side. It took him a moment, but eventually he did the same.

"Thanks," Auden finally said as he stretched his aching muscles.

"The pleasure was all mine," she said teasingly.

"You sure you're not just saying that just to make me feel better?" he said echoing their previous conversation.

"No, I really mean it," she said mocking his tone. "I know it sounds cliché, but it's really how I feel!"

Auden grinned at this. "Perfect execution."

She bowed barely able to stop herself from laughing. "Now that we're back and it's dinner time. I'm going to prepare dinner for you."

"Chi-Chi—

"And I won't take no for an answer!"

She looked at him challengingly and something told him that it wouldn't be in his best interest to decline. "Well then, welcome to my very small apartment home."

Auden wasn't sure if Aster was home yet, but he soon got his answer when he opened the door and found Aster and Jensen sitting quite closely together on the couch watching television. It gave him quite the surprise.

"Oh hey, Dad. Hey—" she stopped abruptly when she finally noticed Chi-Chi. Her expression immediately soured. "Who is _she_?"

"I'm Chi-Chi," she said as she closed the door behind herself. "And I'd appreciate it if you speak directly to me if you have any questions."

"Well, you still haven't answered my question," Aster snapped.

"Aster, please," Auden said wearily, seeing the sparks fly.

"I told you my name," Chi-Chi said haughtily.

"She's Gohan's mom—she's friends with Bulma," Jensen said speaking up just as wearily as Auden felt at the moment.

"Oh well, you two better not be up to anything," Aster cautioned.

"And who are you to tell two _adults_ what to do, little girl?"

"I'm his _daughter_ and I have every right to—

"Every _right_ to—

"I could tell you to leave if I want—

"I could tell you to meet the bottom of my shoe!"

He could suddenly feel increasing gusts of wind around Chi-Chi and the temperature started rising as they both continued to argue and raise their voices. It was all giving him a major headache, but he had no idea what to do. Jensen was dragging Aster away down the hall much to his relief. It wasn't until the door slammed to her room that the tension began to dissipate. Chi-Chi had moved further into the house as Aster was being dragged away.

"The balls on that girl!" she shouted. "I swear!"

Auden sighed wearily. "Apologies for the introduction—that was Aster as you must have learned. I'll talk to her."

Chi-Chi shook her head. "Here I was thinking you were exaggerating before." She seemed to perk up after this. "Anyway! Let's start dinner!"

She was already racing into the kitchen. Auden was certain he'd never let someone new have so much access to his place in such a short amount of time. He thought he'd be panicking by now, but it all seemed somehow routine and inevitable. Maybe he was simply too tired to make a fuss. He could already hear the clanking of pots and pans. She had no idea what he had in the refrigerator and yet she felt confident that she could make something for four people.

"Need any help?" he called out.

"Nope, I'm fine. Dinner will be out in thirty!" she yelled back.

Far be it that he interrupt her flow. With a shrug, he took refuge in the small couch nearby. Already, he was dozing off again that is until he heard new footsteps. He hoped it wasn't Aster coming to wreak havoc. He peered at the newcomer with one eye.

"Hey," the boy said shyly.

"Hey," Auden said back quickly.

"I'm Jensen, by the way."

"So I gathered," Auden said with a yawn. "I hope Aster hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

"No, not at all," Jensen said shaking his head vigorously. "N-No sir. She's really fun to hang out with. She's usually a lot more laid back than this. I don't know what happened."

"Laid back?" Auden said wondering if they were talking about the same person. "If you say so. Isn't a bit late to be out?"

"It doesn't matter when I get home," he said haughtily.

"Ah, the rebellious type then? I should have known."

"That's not—well, you wouldn't understand."

Auden sat up a little straighter in the couch and looked at him squarely. He was a very effeminate looking boy preferring to wear white ribbons in his long, glossy black hair, deep red loose hanging rose earrings, and a crimson clothed choker. He was quite fair skin with long dark lashes and deep dark eyes. His clothing consisted of a turquoise blouse tied up in the front and tight-fitting jeans. Somehow it made sense that Aster would be attracted to him though he couldn't quite put his reasoning into words.

"I suppose it's complicated, right?"

"Are you teasing me?"

"Take it as you will. Well, glad to finally meet you."

"And you too, sir."

"You can drop the 'sir'. I hardly feel like I deserve the respect. How is she doing?"

"She's just upset about—well, she thinks you're dating that woman now."

"If I was, do you think it makes sense for her to be upset about it?"

"Well…Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"The way she described it. I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Of course you're taking her side."

Jensen frowned at this, "I'm not an idiot. I know she's overreacting a little."

"A little? Hm, the bias is quite strong. That's alright."

"Are you going to reprimand me now? Just like adults love to do all the time?"

"You do know that Aster is an adult, right?"

"I know. She's older than she looks."

"And how old are you?" he asked quizzically.

"I don't have an age. It doesn't work the same as humans."

"Sure, kid," he said successfully stopping himself from laughing.

"It's not a joke," he said angrily. "I don't have an age. I don't have any parents. I'm whatever I want myself to be."

"Is _that_ right?"

His frown seemed to deepen.

"Then tell me. Who are you?"

Jensen seemed upset at first, but then slowly opened his mouth to answer. Before he said anything, he closed his mouth again and became pensive. "I haven't—I'll let you know when I have a good answer," he said finally.

"I'll be all ears."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm certainly interested in someone my daughter chooses to spend so much of her time with."

Jensen observed him quietly. "It's hard to get a read on you. Your thoughts seem shrouded in fog."

Though Auden was confused at this, he simply let the matter rest as Jensen made his way across the room back to Aster. It was probably for the best. If anything, the boy seemed to be harboring more baggage than what he was willing to deal with at the moment. He allowed himself to doze off for a while longer until Chi-Chi was shouting that the food was ready.

"Hey, sorry to leave like this, but I can't stay. Gohan's really worried."

"That's alright—you already did more than enough. I'll save some food for you."

"Don't bother," she said dismissively. "I have so much at home." Chi-Chi made her way quickly to the front door.

"Well, thank you. I could call you a ride, if you want."

"I'll be fine." She turned back to look at him. "I keep thinking about what happened at the park. When you've recovered, come call me again. I hope I didn't do more harm than good."

Something about what she said reminded him of his pills which he'd forgotten to take hours ago. He didn't feel like taking them, but more than that he still felt normalized. It was strange. "I'll call you regardless," he said with the beginnings of a grin.

She shook her head and then smiled briefly before turning the handle on the door. "Good night, Auden."

"Good night."

Auden had no idea how she was making it back home all in one night. She didn't have a cell phone to call anyone and she'd refused his help. Maybe he should just follow her advice and not worry about it. Clearly, she knew what she was doing better than him likely.

Jensen followed by Aster finally decided to show up just as he was making his way over to the kitchen to see what masterpiece Chi-Chi had created. The counter was overflowing with food—he wondered how she'd managed to make dinner look so full with so few ingredients. There was no way they'd make it through it all. He'd likely have a freezer and refrigerator filled with leftover.

Aster appeared to have calmed down by the time he finished setting the table, but he wasn't holding his breath for an apology. He wondered if he should have made a bigger deal about it. Seeing as it was two against one, it was probably a fool's errand.

"There's no way you made this," Aster said grudgingly as she managed to completely stock up her plate.

"It's on par with Bunny's cooking," Jensen said piling his plate even higher than hers.

Were the two of them in some sort of competition? He took his usual portions and sat on the other side of the small dining room table.

"Did you take your pills already?" Aster asked moments before Auden could place what was on his fork into his mouth.

"Of course," he lied.

Astor glanced over at Jensen who shook his head as if at a loss.

"I can't read him," Jensen said.

"Great, right when I needed it the most." Her eyes were on him again attempting to bear holes into his skull. "I can't tell if you're lying or not, but I really hope you took your pills this time."

His mouth was already filled with food so he did not answer immediately. "I've already told you once. Besides, didn't I say that I'd be on my best behavior today?"

"You didn't mention you were going anywhere today though," she challenged.

"It was spur of the moment."

"I know," Jensen said brightly, "Why don't you just show us the organizer with the pills."

Auden's eyes narrowed a little as his gaze turned to the child. "No."

"No?" Astor said with a laugh. "Just show us, Dad. Then we can stop making a big deal about it."

"I don't see why I have to. You either believe me or you don't." He continued on his food completely ignoring her annoyed look.

"Seriously?"

He continued to ignore her, but he felt his own annoyance growing.

"Dad," Astor said frustrated as she stood up from the table. She took a step towards him.

Now he did look her way. "If I were you, I wouldn't move any closer."

"You don't scare me," she said matter-of-factly, "And you know I'm just looking out for you, right?" She took another step with a knowing look on her face.

He gave her a hard look. "Sit down," he said acidly. She jumped back at his tone.

"Just do as he says," Jensen said tiredly, "There are some lines you just don't want to cross. Trust me."

His growing annoyance slowly fizzled out as he watched her sit down again. He didn't really think that would work, but he supposed Jensen was proving to be helpful. At this, he thought it was high time he went to bed. As nice as the food was tasting, his appetite simply wasn't there any longer and he wasn't sure he could stomach sharing the same table as the two know-it-alls. It was becoming nerve-racking.

"What? Where are you going? You haven't finished your food," Aster protested.

"Think I'll just call it a night," he said with a sigh. "Astor, make sure you clean everything."

"But—what about your plate? You didn't put it up," she said to his now turned form.

"I'm sure you can figure out what to do with that. It better be cleaned up by tomorrow morning."

She continued to protest, but he simply ignored her. Usually, he would indulge her. In fact, he always indulged her and he always caved to her demands, but he simply did not feel like it. He felt no obligation to do so. Maybe her new boyfriend could help her out.

"I don't know what's gotten into him," he heard Astor say loudly.

"Let's just clean it up. I think you'd better leave him alone tonight," Jensen answered.

Auden couldn't hear the rest of what was said, but he didn't care. It sounded like he'd get some peace and quiet tonight. Though he closed the door, he could eventually hear the sounds of dishes being washed and aluminum foil being rolled out. Music to his ears. It was like a sweet lullaby which finally coaxed him into sleep. He thought he might rest for the entire night, but it was not to be so.

At some point, he climbed from under the covers as the temperature became too warm for him. He tried various positions, but he was utterly uncomfortable and his covers were becoming soaked with his sweat. He probably had a fever. Maybe he was coming down with a cold. It wouldn't be the first time. Only now, something felt far more intense. There seemed to be pressure building up somewhere from within. It eventually became too much to even pretend like he was asleep. He sat up in bed wondering what he should do next. It was simply too hot to bear. Perhaps a cold shower was in order. The very thought of it sent him scrambling out the room into the bathroom so that he could feel some modicum of relief. He turned it on the coldest setting to no avail. Even as the ice-cold droplets hit his skin, the water began sizzling off and the bathroom became filled with water vapor. He remained there until he could no longer feel the water reaching him.

"What the hell," he said under his breath, looking into the mirror wondering if he might find something in his reflection.

The mirror was much too foggy to even see through. He had to wipe it off a few times, but he was presented with himself and nothing out of order. He knew that wasn't the case though. He knew he felt ready to burst. He was already beginning to tremble just like before. Fearful now, he ran back into his room and grabbed some clothes before escaping the confines of the apartment and nearly tripping down the stairs into the parking lot. Everywhere he looked there were cars and more cars—there were simply too many people around.

He remembered a grassy area behind the apartment building that rolled into a manmade pond. Maybe he could go there. He wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but now that he felt sufficiently out of the way of people, he simply released what meager hold he had over the energy that was already boiling. It was much more intense this time as it tore through him quickly. In fact, it was a bit more painful. Not painful in a way that felt traumatizing but in a way that felt good and relieving. It was enough to make him cry out in pain and joy. He heard his own voice echoing in the skies—he was probably waking everyone up, but it was also in the dead of night when most were already deeply asleep.

He saw a fist come out of nowhere and he evaded it instinctively. It had been a slow incoming punch. Surprising, but easy to avoid. Then another one came at him. Someone was trying to knock him out. He could barely see through the haze of yellow, but eventually his vision cleared enough to look upon the intruder. He'd seen that person before—the man with spiky hair. Auden eventually found himself trying to dodge all of his attacks—a feat that didn't seem too difficult considering how slow the man was moving. In fact, the entire world around him seemed to be moving slowly. Auden didn't want this to keep up for too much longer, but he didn't know how to stop him. Then, in the blink of an eye, the attacks suddenly became swift and the spiky haired man was glowing yellow. He cried out in actual pain when a punch landed squarely in his gut and he fell to the ground clawing and grasping at the ample grass. He'd never felt anything like it. Tears sprang to his eyes quickly and eventually he was sobbing uncontrollably. He vomited everything he'd managed to eat for dinner.

"Will you get a grip already!" came the rough voice of the familiar man.

Auden couldn't even begin to form words as he curled and whimpered at the enduring pain left by one attack. Was he dying?

"Hey! Are you listening? Don't you dare pass out."

He opened his eyes slowly to look at the imposing man. "Wh-Who are you?"

"Vegeta—the guy from Bulma's lab. That was you last time, wasn't it?"

"At the…at the lab?" Auden struggled to say.

"No, in Satan City. That burst of energy."

Auden started coughing as something caught in his throat. As fluid came forth, he realized that it was his own blood. He was definitely dying.

"Shit," Vegeta said just loud enough for him to hear. "Look at me," he ordered.

Auden looked at him frightened though his vision was blurry.

"Don't die, alright?"

"S-Sure," he said just as he passed out.


	8. Chi-Chi's Vacation

AN: Sorry in advance for the insane length. I have way too much time on my hands since my job has shut down for the time being…

* * *

 **Vegeta stood in one place for hours that night.** After bringing the unconscious Auden back to Bulma's property, he placed him in the medical ward. Bulma was already up having been awakened by Vegeta's sudden departure. The sharp spike in ki had roused him quickly despite a long day at Tien's dojo. Even though it was peacetimes, he was forever sensitive to such spikes and it had saved him on plenty of occasions. One never knew when someone might try to kill them in their sleep with a well-placed ki blast. That wasn't the case this time. He sensed someone from far off with dizzying amounts of ki being emitted all at once. He'd never felt anything like it, at least not this uncontrolled.

"Vegeta, what is it?" Bulma asked alarmed as he'd sat up in bed.

"Something's not right. It might be trouble. Just wait here."

With that, after throwing on something presentable, he flew through the window and sped off towards the source. Whoever it was, their ki level was increasing exponentially in a way that might end up killing the person. Perhaps it was intentional. One could in theory do this as some sort of kamikaze attack, but there didn't seem to be signs of struggle, just one person powering up. He didn't get very many answers by the time he arrived. He recognized the man immediately after he forced him out of his unstable state. He seemed out of sorts so there was no way to interrogate him. He'd wait until the man was conscious again. Bulma had seen to the bruising around his abdomen. Though Auden had been coughing up blood before, he appeared to have repaired the most grievous injuries according to Bulma's scanner. Perhaps his own energy had naturally switched to self-preservation.

Vegeta's eyes were closed as he paid special attention to Auden and what he might do next. His energy levels were ramping up again and he was still unconscious. It didn't seem like such a great combination. He heard an audible groan from Auden. Vegeta finally opened his eyes watching as sweat began to bead down the other's face and he was quite clearly uncomfortable, turning from one side to the next. It wasn't too much longer before his eyes whipped open as if he'd been forced to do so. Though it was subtle, he could see him shivering under the mounting stress as he sat up. He already seemed to be bursting at the seams.

"Again? It's happening again," the man said under his breath.

"I see you're finally awake," Vegeta said drawing Auden's attention.

He looked at him fearfully. "What do you want?"

"I'm not going to hit you again, if that's what's you're worried about—unless you give me no other choice. Now what were you trying to do back there?"

"I-I don't know. I have no idea what's happening. I don't know why I'm here. Just…Where am I exactly?"

"I took you to Bulma's place. It's a lot safer and less people about."

Auden was already drenched in sweat and Vegeta could tell that he was moments away from unleashing his formidable aura again. "I have to get out of here," he said anxiously.

"No, let's not have a repeat of last time. Look at me," he ordered.

Auden paused and followed instructions. "What?"

"You have to focus on something, anything. You just have to regain control."

"I could just gather it all into one place like last time and just…"

"You mean a ki blast? That won't do any good. This is your power. Even if you expend it, it will come back again eventually, as you can see."

"Then what do I do?" he asked angrily.

"I know it's easier said than done, but you just have to calm down," Vegeta said with arms crossed. "That's all. Try to bring your energy under your control."

"I can't—

"You can, if you want to."

"But I tried already and it hasn't worked."

"Try again."

"I already tried over and over again. It doesn't work. I don't know what to do," he said desperately.

"It's not the end of the world—

"Please," Auden began slowly. Vegeta watched as tears started forming—it was difficult to watch. "Please just end it. It would be easy for you, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not going to get rid of you," Vegeta said with finality in his tone.

"It's alright. I promise. I don't really have anything to live for. I just don't want to hurt anyone and I don't want to keep doing this."

"This is ridiculous," Vegeta snapped. "You won't get anywhere if you don't actually try."

"Listen, I will destroy this entire complex, if you don't just get on with it. I know you could do it. Just punch me a little harder than last time…"

Vegeta advanced on the desperate man and Auden bowed his head in defeat likely expecting Vegeta to do as he wanted. Instead, Vegeta quickly knocked him out before his energy grew out of control. "Bulma," he called out.

She wasn't too far away and she'd likely heard everything that had been said. "You rang?"

"Do you have something that can keep him unconscious for a while?"

"I swear I'm starting to feel more like a nurse than an engineer these days. Yeah, I have something," she said as she went over to a case that contained vials of medicine and a device to administer it.

Vegeta watched as she inserted the mechanical syringe into one of the vials and drew a small amount of the liquid.

"First off, why on Earth did you hit him that hard before?" Bulma asked as she looked for a location on his neck to insert the syringe.

"I misjudged his strength. The way he was reacting to my attacks, I thought he had some experience fighting. I didn't realize how much of a paper tiger he was until I was able to land a hit."

"Well, _I_ could have told you that had I known who it was. I heard him…" her voice trailed as her voice became quiet, "he wanted you to kill him." By then she'd finished giving him the medicine that would keep him under. Slowly, she turned back to Vegeta. She wore a pained expression. "I didn't know—I guess I kind of suspected—that things had gotten so bad for him. I've never seen anyone give up so easily over the first sign of trouble."

"It happens," Vegeta said unable to think of anything comforting to say. He didn't want to tell her that he'd seen that look before on other's faces many times before. He could tell when someone was just being dramatic or actually lacked all hope. Auden had been serious. He'd been willing to surrender his life just like that. Perhaps things might change the next time around, but this certainly couldn't have been the first time he'd thought along those lines. He'd likely seen a convenient opportunity and attempted to use it to his advantage.

"So do you have any idea what's happening?" Bulma asked changing the subject.

"I've never seen this in humans, but I suppose it was always possible that one could simply be born with a higher than normal ki level. Humans aren't naturally aware of their ki. They can go their whole lives and never have accessed it. It has to be pointed out to them somehow. I don't know if this has to do with the fact that he first used his ki much later on in life. Perhaps it's simply dangerous to wait that long."

"He was here helping me at the lab not too long ago. He seemed normal, well, at least ki-wise. Do you think he did all this on his own one day?"

"I doubt it. Someone taught him and it was likely Chi-Chi because she was nearby the first time I felt that spike."

"Chi-Chi? I don't know why she'd be involved with this kind of thing. I can barely get her to come out of the house and now she's just randomly teaching people about ki?"

"We don't know all the details," Vegeta said wearily. "I'll talk to her. I think the main issue is that his base level is far beyond average and he's not quite strong enough to regulate it. The mind is out-of-sync with the body."

"As soon as you bring 'the mind' into it, I don't know if he even stands a chance. You know he has to take a million and one pills just to be somewhat coherent."

"I don't think any of that matters."

"How do you know?" Bulma argued back

"I don't see why it would. If you think every fighter I've met proficient in ki was somehow sound of mind…" Vegeta snorted at this and decided to leave the statement hanging. "I think it's more to do with the lack of experience and confidence. We probably don't have too much longer before he wakes, I'll see what Chi-Chi knows about any of this."

Vegeta left her in the room with Auden. Perhaps her presence might be less antagonistic than the guy who'd nearly killed him before. Besides, he didn't really think he'd be able to speak with Chi-Chi. Her disdain for him wasn't really a secret. Perhaps it would have been better to have Bulma get her on the phone.

"Hello?" came Gohan's tired voice upon calling the Son's house phone. It was in the early hours of the morning.

"Put Chi-Chi on the phone."

He waited for some protest from Gohan, but it didn't come. "I don't know what this is about, but I'll see if she wants to talk."

After a few excruciating minutes of growing impatience, Chi-Chi finally came to the phone. "Yes?" she said in wary tones.

"What do you know about Auden? Did you teach him how to access his ki?"

"Look, Bulma told me about how she was worried about him and I was just trying to do my part. I wasn't teaching him how to fight or anything, I just wanted him to be more in tuned with his own energy. When Gohan showed me that, it made life a little more bearable. I thought I'd do the same for Auden. I didn't expect any of that to happen. How could I? Is he okay? I felt something similar earlier."

"He's not okay, but I just wanted to learn some more details. In your opinion, do you think this happened because of his age? His ki has been dormant for so long that it simply presents itself like this?"

"No," Chi-Chi said, "You can't really think that's case. That would mean everybody past the age of fifty is a ticking time bomb. Ki doesn't work like that. Whether you use it or not, it isn't ever 'dormant'. We're just not aware that it's there in the first place."

"So that means…"

"Mind over matter. He was perfectly fine until he _knew_ it was there. Before this, he was perfectly able to control its presence despite how much of it he happened to have. He just has to get used to it being there and maybe some physical training could help with that."

"My thoughts exactly."

Chi-Chi snorted at this. "Right. I'm coming over there. You might just end up making things worse."

"Do what you want," he said with a frown before hanging up on her.

She was likely going to come whether he wanted her to or not. Maybe it was for the best. In a snap, he was rushing back into the room as he felt another startling spike in ki—Auden was awake again. He paused in the doorway noticing that Bulma was talking to him maybe she could get through to him in a way that he couldn't.

"It's me, Bulma, remember?" she said in friendly tones.

This seemed to have the opposite effect on him. "I know who the hell you are," he growled at her. The golden aura around him seemed to intensify and Bulma shrank back in fear.

Vegeta was there in half a second placing himself in front of Bulma. "Just get out of here Bulma, it's not safe."

Auden's eyes were glued to her and he watched as she made a quick escape. He seemed ready to pounce.

"You're dealing with me now," Vegeta said trying to get his attention. Auden's eyes still seemed to be following her movements even though she was well out of eyesight. "Auden!" Vegeta barked.

Slowly, his eyes returned to Vegeta. "What?" His tone had returned to normal.

"Do you still want to die?"

His expression became enigmatic. "I don't know why you have to drag this out. I don't see any other choice."

"You're doing it right now. You haven't managed to destroy the whole compound."

"For now and just barely. Not for much longer. If I could just do the same thing I did last time…"

"I told you—you can't keep doing that. It will just keep coming back. You know that's not a solution."

"Then what else is there?" he demanded frustrated. "What do you want me to do? I don't know how else to say it."

He seemed marginally calmer than before. Perhaps he could hold out long enough to not completely self-destruct. "Follow me," Vegeta said.

Auden looked up at him questioningly but didn't voice any misgivings as he simply climbed off the cot. Feeling such immense power nearby easily put Vegeta on edge. It usually meant the promise of a challenging duel. His expectations had already been subverted since the moment he'd taken him down with one measly fist.

Vegeta took the man outside much further from the building they'd just exited. It was cool and breezy that night—perfect for a little impromptu duel albeit not one he would likely get any enjoyment from.

"Now, I want you to fight me," Vegeta stated plainly. "Just use your instincts."

"I've never fought anyone a day in my life."

"Surely, you know how to at least throw a punch."

"In theory."

"Alright," Vegeta said with crossed arms. "I'm waiting."

Auden wore a confused look on his face. "So…just to clarify. You want me to punch you?"

"Yes," Vegeta said impatiently, "And I'll retaliate. That's how fights work. I won't hit you as hard as last time."

He seemed unconcerned with his last remark. It was likely because he still had a death wish. At the present, he seemed to be handling his ki well enough though it was still much to high and his aura continued roaring around him. He wished he'd get on with it already. Auden stepped forward finally and unleashed the most pathetic punch he'd ever bore witness to aimed at his chest. Vegeta had to stop himself from swatting it away.

"Is that _all_ you can muster?" Vegeta asked flabbergasted. "Harder next time."

"Any harder and I might break something."

"The guy who wants me to kill him outright is scared of a little pain?"

"Death is a lot swifter than suffering in agonizing pain."

"Harder!" Vegeta barked trying to get a rise out of him.

This didn't seem to work and the man seemed more perturbed than anything else. He did strike out again, but Vegeta could hardly register the force behind it.

Vegeta huffed at this. "I forgot—humans and their fragile bones. It's a wonder they can even handle the gravity on their own planet!" he finished frustrated. "Are you really this weak? That was a pitiful display!"

Auden appeared unaffected by his insults. "I fail to see how this helps other than being a distraction."

"Again," Vegeta demanded.

Auden gave him a hard look, but then complied. As if to spite him, this new punch seemed just as featherweight as the last. This time, Vegeta retaliated and Auden quickly evaded much to his chagrin. It was just like before at the apartments. Auden seemed able to react much faster than what his actual physical strength would suggest. In many ways, his speed was on par with the ki level he was emitting, but everything else didn't make much sense. Vegeta held back his strength to excruciating levels as he went on the offense against Auden. He could have easily ascended to ensure that he got a hit in, but he didn't think it was important that he did, though it would have helped his slightly bruised pride. In this way, their mock fight continued and Vegeta forced him to react faster and more frequently. He even left obvious openings for Auden to throw a few hits of his own. In the first few instances, Auden didn't take the chance, but as the fight drew on, he finally struck out again. Every hit that Auden connected was just as disappointing as the previous one. In fact, Vegeta felt the entire duel was pale and uninteresting. It would have been embarrassing for anyone to watch—that's if they could keep up with the speed in which it was occurring.

After close to ten minutes, Auden's stamina gave out. That became quite obvious when Vegeta was able to get in a few gentle hits and his aura dissipated. Vegeta called it quits afterwards. The entire exchange left a bad taste in his mouth—he was glad it was over for sanity reasons. Auden was breathing hard as he sank to the ground in exhaustion.

"Do you see now?" Vegeta asked.

Auden took a few moments to respond waiting for his heavy breathing to subside somewhat. "See what?" he asked looking at him quizzically.

"Your ki is far more controlled right now and you didn't have to expend it."

Realization came to his face. "Y-You're right," he said in surprise. "I can still feel it, but…it's not like how it was before."

"Remember that feeling. I don't think you should have further issues in that regard, but, in your case, I suppose things are a bit unpredictable."

"I think I should be fine now," he said in a knowing voice.

Vegeta supposed that he would know better than anyone if that was the case so he didn't push him on this point. "Now what do you plan to do next? I think receiving adequate physical training would be best."

"I don't see why I would ever want to do such a thing."

It wasn't a surprising response, but it was depressing all the same. Of course he wouldn't have any motivation to pursue combat training. Everyone, especially humans, always struggled with gaining more raw energy. As tenacious and promising as Malachi had been, that was always his downfall no matter how much he trained. Were it not for unforeseen circumstances, Malachi's ki level would have been far less than what it ended up being. Here was someone who had already bypassed that step and only had the fairly elementary task of increasing his own strength. It seemed wasted on one who was so sedentary and likely set in their ways.

These days he spent his time training other humans at Tien's dojo—humans starting off with decent fighting abilities and keen instincts. It was different training them than it had been with Malachi. He had a better sense in what he should be teaching and how it should be done. There were less distractions and they were fully willing students who ate up his every word and took his lessons seriously. He'd be lying if he said he _didn't_ like the attention. He quickly recognized the flaws in the way he'd trained Malachi. He used that template and greatly improved on instruction. Vegeta had likely put Malachi's life at risk in most sessions from the very beginning forcing him to train until collapse and to continue afterwards after a slight recovery. Humans could not recover in the same way Saiyans did and, in fact, it was detrimental to their health to make them train that way. They needed rest and, depending on the fitness level, that rest could extend to a couple of days or else training ended up doing more harm than good. The same could be said about Saiyans, but to a much lesser extent. In some instances, it was even the opposite since Saiyans could bounce back from injuries faster with much more strength than before. In short, humans did not gain anything from brutal training tactics. There was no fast tracking, simply slow and steady strength training.

Giving up on training Malachi when they were just barely acquainted was regretful and something he couldn't stop thinking about. Malachi was his first human student and he couldn't help but compare every single other one to him. By now, Vegeta was sure his skills would have been quite formidable and his ki level would have followed in suit. Maybe he would have come up with more interesting techniques or even figured out Instant Transmission. He would have challenged him to more duels and impressed him with his overwhelming confidence. Going down this line of thinking, however, always put him into a despondent mood. The students he taught were confident and also respectful. While that was nice, he found himself longing for one of them to talk back, to not take him so seriously, to claim that they'll one day best him, to make him believe for just a few moments that Earth's denizens could figure out how to protect themselves once the Saiyans were no more.

Looking at Auden now, he saw wasted potential. For a second time in his life, he thought he'd found a human who could certainly surpass him. In reality, it was too good to be true as always.

"So that's it, huh," Vegeta said with a frown. "You're fine with being a weakling for the rest of your life."

This barely registered with Auden who had now laid down flat on the lawn likely waiting for his heart to stop beating so hard. "It doesn't bother me either way."

Vegeta wasn't sure how to get a rise out of him. Was there any way to make him interested in training? At this point, it seemed like a fool's errand. "And you would throw your life away at a moment's notice if you thought it was convenient."

"I try not to make too many people aware of that fact," he said wearily, "Or else they'll keep bringing it up."

"Being able to defend yourself would make it that much harder."

Auden gave him no response.

"Are you fine with leaving yourself so vulnerable? Living your life completely at the mercy of everyone else unable to carve out your own path as you see fit."

"Is this the sort of macho shit you tell yourself every night as a nice little bedtime story?" he asked drily. Auden sat up to look at him.

Vegeta was caught off guard by his tone, but it was a welcome change. He huffed at this. "Did I strike a nerve? Good."

"There's only so much BS I can take," Auden said looking away. "And you're making a lot of assumptions."

"From where I stand, it seems pretty accurate." Listening to Auden's heart skipping a beat gave Vegeta all the evidence he needed.

"Bulma was never good at keeping things to herself."

"She's told me very little about you aside from needing your expertise on her ongoing project. You're simply too much of an open book."

"Right," Auden said not buying his bluff. "How is that going, by the way?—her quest to find the dragon balls."

"She's no stranger to finding them. This just has the added step of finding a specific planet. As far as I know, the radar is operational and is currently being put to good use."

"Well, I hope she finds what she's looking for. It still seems a bit like fantasy."

"Luckily for us, it doesn't depend on whether you believe it or not."

"Isn't that often the case with reality?" he answered nonchalantly. "I just think it's foolish to get one's hope up about something that's highly unlikely. Even if I saw someone alive after I knew for certain that they were dead, I would still be dubious. It bends the laws of physics and one should always be cautious."

"I see there's no convincing you, but I'm not here to do that."

"No, you're not. You're still trying to convince me to do your silly training. I'm not interested. End of story."

Vegeta closed his eyes in irritation. "So be it. I suppose if there's evidence of your kind of power among humans, then there are others out there."

Auden gave no audible response to this. Instead, he made himself a bit more comfortable further spreading out his legs. Tension had long since dissipated from him and he seemed somewhat recovered from their little spar. Vegeta left him where he was since he no longer had business with him. If he wanted to stay, he was sure Bulma would accommodate him. If he didn't, then that was his prerogative.

He flew off for the medical ward where he still sensed Bulma to tell her the good news. Auden was no longer a danger to himself. Though everything was back to normal, Vegeta couldn't help but think that he could have done something more to convince him. Along with that, his doubts about bringing Malachi back were amplified after hearing the certainty in Auden's voice when he spoke about Malachi's death. Vegeta knew better. He'd seen people die and arise again plenty of times. Why then had his words troubled him so much? Why couldn't he shake his own doubts about this turning out in his favor?

* * *

Auden was glad when the spikey haired man finally left him in peace. To engage with someone so energetic and forceful was tiring. The sort of light he saw behind his eyes as he asked about training was troubling to say the least. Did he see some worth in him that he did not? He didn't want anyone to have such expectations for him. The possibility of failure became that much more likely. If there was one thing he could tell about the other, it was that he likely put a lot of stock in competition and raw strength.

"Auden?"

He looked back in surprise at the sound of his own name being spoken by the last person he thought he'd see that day. It was Chi-Chi standing a few yards away in her usual pink and green outfit.

"How did you get here?"

"Does it matter? I was worried about you and I came as fast as I could."

"Well, it must be some sort of miracle. I'm glad you're here."

"You look exhausted," she stated as she walked over and then took a seat next to him. "Someone must have forced you to run for more than a few seconds."

Auden chuckled at this. "Something like that."

"It was Vegeta wasn't it?"

"The really muscular guy with spiky hair?"

"A perfect description," she grinned. "I'm guessing he never introduced himself. Sounds just like him. The fact that you survived an encounter with him is pretty incredible."

"He's not so scary."

"Oh? Is that right?" Chi-Chi said amused. "No need to try to impress me. His mere voice is intimidating."

"I find women to be far more frightening."

"Typical. Spoken like someone who doesn't hang out with the opposite sex very often. Are we also hard to understand?"

"It's nothing like that. I do have a daughter, if you remember, who until recently rarely left my side. It's just from…personal experience. People like Vegeta are more straight-forward and far less insidious."

"It's a wonder you managed to deal with me for an entire day," she said in wonderment, "with opinions like that."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just a generalized view. Individuals are different."

"No offense taken. At least you're being honest. How did we get this sidetracked? Now I have a burning question that would completely derail this whole thing. First of all, how are you doing? Do you still feel like—well, you know…"

"Not anymore thanks to Vegeta. I don't know how to explain it, but after exerting myself, I was just able to control what he calls 'ki'. I didn't even realize when it happened. Now it seems so natural."

"I think it was just because you weren't used to it and to have such a high base level didn't help matters. I knew it had to be something simple though. It was always there, you just weren't aware of it until now."

"That's the strange part. Ki seems like quite an interesting concept. If it was always there though, why is it that I never felt like this before?"

"More research required, I guess. I'm no expert. When I was first aware of my own ki, it definitely boosted my self-confidence. I was hoping it would do the same for you."

"You could say that," he agreed thinking back on how dinner had gone last night.

The full ramifications of his ki awareness had not yet been discovered he suspected. In the same moment that he was perfectly fine with Vegeta finishing him off, he felt extremely powerful and the feeling of sweet power flowing through his veins was exhilarating—it was a strange dichotomy. He knew at some point, that he would want to feel that again, but he had a feeling that Vegeta would somehow know the very moment he did something like that and show up once again.

"That's all I really wanted. Well, mostly."

"Mostly?" he asked curiously. "What else did you want?"

"Like I said last time at the park. I'd like to do something other than staying at the house all the time and it's always good to get in some exercise on a daily basis."

"You're right. It's not good being inside all the time. I don't know if I'm too keen on jogging though."

Chi-Chi sighed at this. "Just a little jogging? And it doesn't have to be the _only_ thing we do. I have quite a few things I could show you that's way less torture."

"I might have to take you up on that."

"You won't regret it," she said with a smile. "For some reason, being around you—I just want to reclaim my beauty and shape, if you know what I mean."

Auden looked at her amused. "Sounds like a midlife crisis."

Chi-Chi looked at him with pursed lips. " _You're_ going to help me too," she insisted. "And tell me more about these 'de-aging' products."

"I'd be more than happy to."

"And please don't tell me that 'you're good the way you are' crap that Gohan always goes on about."

"I wasn't," he said confused, "I thought that was already obvious. I meant it when I said you were beautiful, but I would never try to stand in the way of someone who wants to better themselves."

"Oh, you're making me blush," she said with reddening cheeks. "How embarrassing!"

Auden couldn't hold back his widening smile. He knew he wasn't helping matters, but she was becoming increasingly easy on the eyes as she held both hands on her cheeks trying to cover up the evidence.

"You know exactly what you're doing," she accused him loudly.

He gave her the most innocent look he could muster. "I have no idea what you're talking about." That part was actually true considering he'd just restated the same compliment from earlier. Maybe she was taking him more seriously right now. Not to mention the plethora of compliments she'd already given him. "What about that other question you had?" he asked changing the subject so that she might recover. It had the opposite effect, however.

"It's a silly question come to think about it," she said quickly, "I don't know why I even brought it up!"

"So your burning question is now just silly? Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"I could, if you really wanted me to."

Chi-Chi grinned at him. "Alright, I've decided I want to know. I don't care how strange it sounds. We're both adults here. It's just important to me."

Auden was all ears.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

That was a strange question, but he decided to answer truthfully. "I have."

She looked relieved when he said this and that confused him further. "Good. I just had to make sure."

"It was only once and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather have nothing further to do with it."

"Oh," she said surprised. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you just haven't—

"No," he said cutting across her. "Once was too many. I knew before then that I wouldn't enjoy such things."

"O-Oh."

"Does that surprise you?"

"Well, yeah," she said as if it was obvious.

"Is that a 'dealbreaker' for you?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "No, not really, I suppose. Let's just see where this all goes. Besides, I wasn't aware I was part of some kind of deal."

Auden grinned at this recognizing a rephrasing of his own words. He was always upfront about such things. Being any other way only complicated things further from his experience. Besides, it was better to not waste time on people who would judge him poorly due to his natural leanings.

"Well," she said climbing back to her feet with some difficulty—Auden helped her as he followed in suit. "We can't stay out here forever. Never know when Vegeta or Bulma might track us down and I'm not in the mood for either of them."

"Same."

"I know before I was in a rush to leave, but do you mind if I stayed with you for the time being?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. Are you sure though? It seemed like your family really needed you."

"Oh there'll be fine. Consider this my impromptu vacation."

"And what brought this on?" he asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just felt like it. Seeing you alive and well, is apparently quite motivating."

Auden wasn't sure he understood her reasoning, but he simply took it at face value. "Unfortunately, I didn't drive here. I suppose I can call a cab and—

"No, let's just walk. It's really nice out today."

He looked at her wearily. "It'll take hours getting home."

"You're not scared, are you? We're just taking a nice leisurely stroll. If you really feel tired, then we can get a ride, but I just thought you'd like to walk with me. We can talk about whatever."

"I'll try it out for a while, crazy woman, but I doubt I'd make it all the way."

"We shall see," she said knowingly.

The two of them started off from the Briefs' residence and soon made their way down the nearest sidewalk. Auden had never gone home on foot, but he knew exactly where to go without having to refer to a GPS which was all for the better. Soon he became far too engaged in conversation with Chi-Chi to have paid much attention to his cell phone.

* * *

It felt as if no time had passed at all as Chi-Chi stepped back into Auden's cozy apartment. She couldn't quite say if he felt the same. At the very least, he wasn't complaining about it. His place boasted much smaller quarters than what she was used to, but she realized that she didn't really require much space and such a place would be child's play to maintain.

After rushing back home earlier last night, she'd gotten a stern lecture from Gohan about staying out so late with no way to track her down. Midway through his self-righteous tirade, she began to chew him out over it. Thinking back, it was strange hearing the same words she'd told _him_ when he was younger whenever he came home late turned back on her out of genuine concern. She wondered if she sounded just as annoying as he did when she'd yelled at him. The tables had turned it seemed. More and more, it felt like he was taking care of her instead of the other way around. These days, she depended on him to take care of the entire family monetarily. This meant that he had more of a say in her day-to-day life. It was becoming stifling. She felt more like a maid than anything else. Hardly anyone stopped to wonder how exactly she felt about the situation. As long as she wasn't inconvenient to anyone, all was well.

Then she'd gotten a call from Vegeta and one thing just led to another. Soon she was back in Auden's company where she felt the most alive. The singular attention that he gave her felt uncanny, but she knew she was becoming entranced by it. Returning back home seemed less and less appealing until she decided that she wouldn't. Whether Auden would take her in or not, she did not plan on coming back home anytime soon.

They both took turns taking a shower. Chi-Chi noted how immaculate his bathroom was. In fact, she could smell the very recent use of strong cleaning products in the showering area. She vowed she'd keep it the same way she found it. After she stepped in and turned on the steaming water, she stayed in there for much longer than anticipated as tears began running down her cheeks. What was she doing anyway? Why did it feel like she was running away from home? This pleasant feeling that she was allowing herself to indulge in—did she even deserve that?

She stepped out of the now wet area and quickly dried herself leaving all her questions unanswered. Then, like clockwork, she wiped everything down with bleach infused with comet cleanser she'd found in a nearby cabinet before she was thoroughly satisfied. As she left the bathroom with the towel tied around her, she wondered what she would even wear now as she carried the clothes she'd been wearing in her arms.

Chi-Chi found Auden in the living room looking down intently at his phone. He looked up when he finally noticed her nearby.

"Don't worry about your clothes," he said, "I'll wash them later on."

In fact, it was getting towards dawn and neither of them had gotten a proper night's rest. She felt as if her schedule was all over the place.

"Oh, you don't have to do all that," she said with a gracious smile. She was actually relieved and she didn't want to admit that she was glad that he'd taken time to think about such details.

"It's fine," he said waving away her concern, "I was going to do laundry anyway today."

She noticed a neatly folded gray shirt nearby that he now held up to her. With a raised eyebrow, she took it up.

"I thought you might like a change of clothes."

She realized that he was giving her what was likely his own clothes to her. Something about that made her cheeks burn a bit. When she unfolded it, she saw that it was one very large dress shirt. "I can't imagine you even wear this size."

"Well, I don't, but I can finally make use of that gift Aster got me long ago. I couldn't bear to just throw it away when she'd gone out of her way to get it for me."

"Let's see," Chi-Chi said checking the tag on the back, "She thought you wore 2XL."

"Yep. Couldn't tell her any different either," he said clearly amused. "After all, I _am_ two times bigger than her and she thought 2XS looked a little too small. It makes perfect sense."

She snickered at this. "Kids—they really think they know everything."

"Regular geniuses," he agreed sardonically.

It wasn't quite like she would be wearing something that he'd worn many times before, but she appreciated the sentiment. The alternatives of sleeping in a bath towel or worse putting on the same soiled clothes was something she hadn't been looking forward to.

"I would hate for you to have to sleep on the couch—you can use my bed and I'll take the couch."

"I don't see how you'd fare much better than me on a couch, old man," she pointed out.

"You're my guest," he said as if it settled the discussion.

"I'd feel terrible. This is kind of spur of the moment so it's only right that _I_ take the couch," she insisted.

"But then _I'd_ feel terrible, if it ended up that way."

"It's alright, Auden. No need to make a big deal about it," she said as she sat down on the couch beside him.

He looked away for a moment, but then returned his gaze. "How about we just share my bed—it would be big enough for both of us."

Chi-Chi was taken aback by his boldness. Sure, it was the next logical step, but she didn't think he'd openly suggest it. "Well, I suppose it's okay…"

"No cuddling."

"Oh, yeah, of course not," Chi-Chi said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Alright, well, as long as we have an understanding," he said standing up. "If you can excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep in at some point today."

"Yeah, it has been a long day."

She watched him leave, but she didn't follow immediately. A certain giddiness had come over her. They'd be sleeping in the _same bed_? Was this moving along too quickly? Was she just being silly staying over like this? Was she sending the wrong message to him? It still seemed, however, that they were on the same page—whatever page that might be. She didn't exactly feel in danger around him. To be honest, it would be nice not to have to go to bed alone for a change. It also seemed as if she didn't have to worry about him invading her personal space—they'd cross that bridge if it ever became an issue. But then, did she anticipate doing this often? It was better just to take things one step at a time. Everything seemed relatively harmless now. Why destroy this serenity with worry?

After a few more minutes, Chi-Chi joined him in bed. It was king sized and more than capable of comfortably holding them. She wondered why one person would need such a huge bed. It was so soft and malleable that it hardly moved at all when she laid down on it. She slipped under the covers to gather warmth around her. She peered over at Auden who was already asleep though turned away from her.

Everything was quiet save for his long, deep breaths which became like a lullaby. She closed her eyes and after a while she fell asleep as well. However, it felt like only moments went by when she was roused by the sun. Startled by the position of the sun, she sat up quickly in bed. She only just noticed the digital clock on the nightstand as shock set in. It was a few minutes past noon—she'd never awakened so late before. She'd already wasted over half the day. Then she heard a stomach growling—she thought it was herself for a moment but realized that it was from Auden who seemed utterly unfazed by her antics.

"Auden?" she said testing how close he was to wakefulness.

He laid on his back now, head slightly turned away, but just as deeply asleep as before. She heard another distinct growling noise from him and knew that he was likely famished. It was oddly comforting and reminiscent of the time she spent with her husband only his would have been much louder and he would already be asking when the food was going to be ready.

Deciding that it wasn't worth trying to get him up right now, she climbed out of bed and made a beeline for the kitchen to see what his refrigerator looked like. There were a lot of leftovers from last time. Of course, his food stores hadn't changed much. He seemed to favor vegetables over meat and the shelves were far more sparse than what she was used to. Then again, he was only making things for himself and maybe one other person. After a few moments, she decided on something slightly fancier than usual and began on that, hoping the smell of cooking might finally wake him.

There were no signs of Aster much to her relief, though she'd been fully prepared to deal with the girl. When she was done, she set up the table and made her way back to his bedroom where he'd changed positions. Now his face was buried in the pillow and the covers wrapped more snuggly around him. He really didn't want to wake up, it seemed.

"Auden, honey, it's getting pretty late. I made some food."

She waited for his response, but it didn't come. She stepped closer to the bed planning to shake him to wakefulness despite her growing hesitation. Then she heard an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah? I heard you. Just give me a few minutes," he said, barely heard through the pillow.

Chi-Chi stood with crossed arms wondering how long he'd actually been awake. Then she heard his stomach growling again though it was muffled. "Well, it's half past noon and I'm not going to be waiting forever."

He groaned as he turned his head away from the pillow so his voice could be heard clearer. Finally, she was presented with at least one of those dark blue eyes of his. "Someone's chipper today," he noted with sleep still in his voice.

" _Someone_ has to be else we'll never get up today apparently."

"Like I said," he began as he returned to his previous position this time with his head turned away from her, "Just give me a few."

He yawned at this and he seemed far too relaxed and perfectly comfortable in his little spot to give her any hope that he'd actually be getting up anytime soon. Auden truly wasn't accustomed to rigorous activity and yesterday was probably a departure from his usual routine, not to mention going to bed so late. Were it not for the fact that she knew he probably needed sustenance sooner rather than later, she might have just let him be. He was already falling back to sleep. Now that it was the middle of the day, she could see just how peaceful and carefree he looked—a far cry from the worrier she knew him to be.

"Auden," she said a little louder with a huff. "Please—the food's getting cold."

"Uh-hmm," he hummed in response.

She stood watching for a few more seconds finally realizing that she'd hit a brick wall with him. She could go the extra step and shake him to wakefulness, but placing her hands on him seemed somehow wrong and intrusive. She had a feeling he wouldn't like it. With a shrug, she simply left him there and began on her very light meal. To her surprise, moments after she placed the last morsel in her mouth, she was joined by Auden who by then had his phone in hand and eyeglasses back on. He hadn't changed clothes, but he seemed a great deal more alert.

"Would you look at that—he's alive," she said smiling.

"Yeah, well, my stomach wouldn't shut-up."

She looked at him knowingly. "So what was the plan? Sleep the whole day away?"

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," he said starting on the now cold plate of food.

"Oh, please, you can't be _that_ tired. We have to do things today. Get out of the house."

He looked at her wearily. "What did you have in mind?"

"Teaching you a few new exercises. We don't have a lot of sun left today so whenever you're ready…"

"So," he began after he finished chewing, "What do you plan to wear today?"

Chi-Chi crossed her arms at this. "Don't worry—I have it all planned out."

"Something tells me that you have nothing planned out and all of this is just spur of the moment."

She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't feel like engaging in bold-faced lies.

"That's alright. I've already thought about it since I just can't help myself."

"Proud of yourself?"

Auden grinned at her. "It won't take me long to do laundry. Then afterwards maybe we could go shopping."

"You like clothes shopping?" she said not looking forward to the prospects.

"Not particularly, but it's something to do," he said with a shrug.

"Hmm…" Chi-Chi said as she watched him finishing off his plate. "There's a lot of things you're either indifferent to or just plain don't like—what _do_ you like outside of your precious phone?"

"Outside of my phone? Now, that's a hard one," he said amused as he stood up from the table.

He took her emptied plate along with his into the kitchen. She thought he'd start washing the dishes, but she remembered he had a dishwasher as she heard a small door being opened. But then she heard the refrigerator being opened as well along with the microwave being turned on. It seemed he wasn't satiated from what she'd made. Judging from the not so modest plate he came back to the table with, she was way off the mark with his appetite this morning.

"So…just your phone then," she remarked when he left her question hanging.

"I'm just a one-trick pony. I dedicated a good chunk of my life to software engineering and I don't take pleasure in much else. Well, perhaps there's an exception to that."

Chi-Chi looked at him questioningly, but he refused to expound. "Well, that sounds just like my husband."

"And what did he like to do?"

"Fighting," she said singularly, "Anything combat related. He was obsessed with it. He _needed_ to find his next powerful opponent or be training intently someplace far from home. He enjoyed that more than anything else, more than me, more than his family."

He paused in his eating. "Sorry to hear that."

"Oh, well, maybe it was for the best. The world needed him on a constant basis and maybe I was just being selfish. Maybe I was just expecting too much."

She knew that he couldn't possibly be following what she was saying and she wasn't willing to explain further. It would be too long a story to indulge.

"Even with software engineering I've learned to appreciate it because I shackled myself to it early on and eventually it became my only way out of poverty. 'Enjoy' seems like a word that means something more intrinsic and inevitable. For the most part, I feel as if I'm just going through the motions with most things."

"Sometimes I feel like that too even with things I used to love doing."

"If washing dishes was one of your pastimes, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Oh, shut-up—washing dishes is pretty relaxing! The sound of water, the smell of soap—

"The nonstop scrubbing of greasy pans and the continuous struggle of trying to get every single speck of dirt despite knowing you're only human and it's an impossible task."

"Well that's because _you're_ a perfectionist and I'm not—not that I've ever missed a speck of dirt."

"That you know of."

Chi-Chi didn't even want to begin going down that rabbit hole, but now that it was pointed out to her…

"And I'm by no means a perfectionist, but if I'm going to spend my time doing something, I might as well make sure I'm doing it right."

"I guess that's one way to look at it."

Chi-Chi watched as Auden finished off his plate in record time. For a human, that was quite impressive. She thought she might say something about it, but then thought better of it. They had missed breakfast after all. Once he was done and his place at the table cleared away, she was left to her own devices as he started on the laundry. She wanted to leave and go somewhere already, but he was taking his sweet time. He was not an outdoors person and it was becoming more and more obvious.

The idea of just walking around and exploring the city was apparently a ludicrous idea to Auden who quickly told her that it would take days to traverse the length of it just going in a straight line. As for what she wanted to do today in the way of exercise, she wanted some place outside but private. He knew of a place immediately much to her delight. At least all wasn't lost. It was finally something she could look forward to. Perhaps the prospects of clothes shopping weren't too bad either considering that Auden had no problem spending his own money on it.

Approximately half an hour passed before she could throw back on her clothes from yesterday. She had to admit that her clothes smelled magnificently fresh and warm right out of the dryer. It was a shame she was going to soil it up again soon. Chi-Chi wasted no time dragging Auden out of the house that day. They went to the nearby retail store and she quickly picked out a week's worth of clothes off the sales rack. Despite only spending less than half an hour in there, she felt that even this was too long, but she was also relieved that she now had a change of clothes as well as undergarments. Perhaps grocery shopping was in order on some later date.

It was nearing the evening time when they arrived at the nearest park. It wasn't as big and easy to lose oneself in as the one in her city, but this one had its own charm. Warm, glowing lanterns lined the sidewalks and every open area was easily identifiable with bright wooden signs. The grounds were well-kept and decorated with exotic flowers from around the world. She could smell a light perfume of flowers in the air, if she exhaled deep enough.

Chi-Chi found a secluded picnic area near the lake and decided that it would be perfect for their purposes. There was even a nice wooden bench nearby they could use if anyone got tired. She fully expected Auden to bow out pretty quickly. She stood still for a moment looking towards the slowly moving water. Auden stood nearby likely admiring the scenery as well.

"Fair weather today," he remarked.

"Yeah, we've been extremely lucky these past two days."

"Well," he said after a while, "I'm sure this is what you've been waiting for all day."

"That is an understatement. Now that we're here though, I just want to take my time."

"I'm a little nervous," he admitted.

Chi-Chi grinned at this. "Don't be. I'm not going to force you to run around the park or anything—that comes later."

"Later?"

"Yeah, when you can manage it. No need to rush into things. No need to try to impress anyone." Chi-Chi waited for a few more seconds having just come up with what they'd be doing today. "So, let's start with some stretches—that way you don't end up hurting yourself later."

Chi-Chi didn't know how bad it was going to be until she started. From the very first stretching position which required one to bend forth and touch one's feet while sitting down, Auden was a complete novice. Perhaps a child would have fared better. She found herself having to remind him to only go as far as he could manage and to not put unnecessary strain on joints and muscles to avoid injury. He couldn't go very far at all—not with the leg stretches, arm stretches, or even midsection stretches. He was a wreck afterwards, so she gave him a few minutes to recover much to her amusement. She didn't want to make him feel embarrassed, but he seemed to be taking it all in stride. At least he was trying.

"Oh, you poor soul," she said trying to not laugh.

"I'm not going to make it through the day," he said wearily. "It's fine, you can laugh." He was already stretched out on the grass with no signs of trying to sit back up again.

"Me? I would never make fun of someone else's misery."

"I'm trying to take this seriously, but it's going just as bad as I imagined it would."

"You'll get better with practice," she insisted.

"The idea of having to do this again…Nightmarish."

"Well, are you ready to continue?"

"No."

"Tough luck. We're moving on to the next set of exercises."

Auden groaned at this, but then crawled back to his feet. From here, she began teaching him the basic forms of the fighting technique that had been passed down through her family on her father's side. On their own, they were a great way to fully engage one's body in exercise and only vaguely resembled something one might use in a fight. This went far smoother than the stretches much to her relief. In fact, he seemed to take to them quicker in repeated reps. She only taught him two out of the thirteen forms.

"It's almost like this could be done on someone else," he commented when they were done with the first set of reps.

Chi-Chi grinned at this. He must have already caught on to what she might be showing him. "Perhaps, if you were quick enough and took hold of the right body parts."

She noticed that he was already well out-of-breath so she paused again for his sake, then continued on. In this way, they spent another half hour going over the same techniques until she determined that he likely couldn't take anymore. As soon as she declared that they were done, Auden was soon splayed on the ground desperately trying to catch his breath.

He'd gotten a good workout that day, but she realized that she'd have to do a great deal more to reach her own limits. Eventually, he managed to set himself up on the bench to regain some sort of dignity, but he was very clearly done that day. She wouldn't be able to make him do anything else even if she begged him, not that she would.

"Hey, Auden, wait here for me—I'm going to go jogging around the park."

He looked at her with disbelief. "Don't worry, I won't move a muscle."

She chuckled at his phrasing. "See you in a little while then."

It would have been nice to have a jogging partner, but he simply wasn't ready for all of that. Maybe he would one day. In fact, she was determined to help him reach that level of stamina. She took off quickly down the well-lit paths. Since it was quickly growing dark, she was glad he'd chosen a park that wasn't so scary at night. Comparing herself to Auden, one wouldn't even begin to suspect that she was out of shape. In reality, compared to what she could do in her youth, she was. She might be able to make two trips around the park, but she could have done much more in the past. Looking at it that way, she had a long way to go—it was depressing how far down she'd fallen. In this respect, it was nice having Auden around to boost her own confidence. Only time would tell just how committed he was. She couldn't quite tell right now. He hadn't told her that he _wouldn't_ continue going to exercise with her, but he probably wasn't all that enthusiastic about it.

By the time she made it back to the bench a second time, she found him fully engrossed in his phone again. Gohan had shown her a cell phone before—she couldn't imagine ever being so taken by it. It seemed to amount to a lot of random symbols and graphics on a bright screen. Somehow, Auden had made an entire career out of it.

"Ready to go?" she asked as she caught her breath again.

"What's this? It's possible for even you to get tired?"

"Very funny," she said unable to laugh. "So, whatcha doing on your phone?"

"Just updating a few programs—boring stuff."

She had no idea what he was talking about and she was glad he didn't go into a detailed explanation. "Well, anyway, I know you have to have worked up an appetite, right?"

"Sure, after surviving your little torture session."

"It's not _that_ bad."

Auden stood up from the bench. "So you say."

They made their way back to the car at a modest pace. Chi-Chi attempted to walk a little faster, but Auden didn't take the bait. They weren't too far away from home and they made it back in record time. She thought of making a grand feast for them, but Auden seemed content with reheated food.

"I'd rather not waste food," he said after she told him what she planned to do. "Force of habit, I suppose."

"There's so much leftover, I doubt we could get through it today. Might as well throw it away after tonight."

Auden looked at her puzzled. "That would be extremely wasteful."

Chi-Chi sighed exasperatedly. "I'm not even used to having leftovers."

"Don't worry, you'll survive. If you keep things below a certain temperature in the freezer, it can last a few days."

"Yeah, I know, but…"

Auden wasn't going to be throwing away food, that much she was certain of. She was a novice when it came to reheating things and she wasn't particularly fond of nuking things in the microwave. Auden didn't use that this time preferring to use the gradual heating of the oven and using the stove eyes on a low setting. Actually, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. All the meat and sauces turned out well and the vegetables were easy enough to reheat on the stove.

She expected him to take a large portion like she saw in the morning, but this time his plate was modest. One could never tell with him apparently. They ate in relative silence for a while. Only the sound of metal clinking on ceramic could be heard. The tall glass of cold-water Auden had poured them looked enticing sitting before her. For some reason, she assumed that he'd have his phone out at the table, but it seemed whenever she was around, his full attention was on her.

"Where _is_ Aster, by the way?" she asked when a thought came to mind.

He shrugged at this. "I have no idea. She hasn't decided to let me know her whereabouts and I haven't asked."

"Doesn't that…concern you?"

"Not really. She's fully capable of making her own decisions."

"But having her coming and going without giving you a heads up has to be annoying."

"Well, I'm never doing anything out of the norm to warrant it."

"And now?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "I should be a little worried, shouldn't I? Maybe I should let her know that you're here."

"Don't bother. She doesn't tell you anything so you shouldn't tell _her_ anything."

He actually paused for a moment longer before simply going along with her suggestion. "We'll see what happens then."

"I'm not really all that concerned. I'm used to people not wanting me around anyway."

"Now, Chi-Chi—

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way," she said realizing too late how bad that sounded. "It's just…that's just how it is. It's better to just ignore it and assert yourself whether people want you to or not."

"I want you here."

That singular phrase caught her off guard and she found herself staring at him unable to find the words to respond.

"Sorry, that sounded way better in my head than out loud. Whatever you want to call this—vacation or visiting—it's been nice having you around. I really enjoy your company."

"Well, that's great since I was thinking about staying a bit longer."

"Stay as long as you like."

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"I don't make that offer lightly. The idea of having someone stay with me outside of Aster is a foreign concept to me. In fact, it always sounded like a terrible idea until now. It's different, I suppose. I'm probably not explaining myself very well."

"I don't think I fully understand, but I like the sentiment. I'm glad I haven't managed to get on your nerves yet."

"I think you'd sooner get bored of me before then."

Chi-Chi laughed at this. "Maybe I like 'boring'. Besides, you're way more interesting than you give yourself credit."

That last part was especially true. Just from being around him and observing his habits and mannerisms, she wanted to learn more about him, more than what Bulma had told her at least. While Goku had been an open book, Auden wasn't quite that. He was welcoming, to be sure, but he didn't exactly like divulging too much about himself. She could say the same for herself. For a long time, she hadn't been interested in talking about herself. She was always giving to others, shaped by everyone else's whims. Even without explicitly saying it, Auden seemed interested in her. She'd wager that he wanted to know more than he knew now about her, but he wasn't the type to pressure her into such things.

After finishing the late dinner and taking a gloriously long hot shower in his sparkling bathroom, she joined him once again in bed as if it was already routine.

"I have to work tomorrow," he said as she made herself comfortable. He was laying on his back now.

"Oh," she said, realizing that this was obviously going to be a thing that came up. She wasn't sure what to do, if that was the case.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

"What? Is that allowed?"

"At CC? Of course. People do it all the time there especially during the summer. I never paid it any mind. They encourage inviting friends and family. They even provide inhouse childcare and plenty of recreational activities."

"Wow, that's really generous. I had no idea jobs could do that."

"When you're as big and powerful as them, you can afford to splurge on those sorts of things. They're always trying to promote a more welcoming family atmosphere and most people take advantage."

"Here I was thinking you worked somewhere in a cubicle."

"CC has mastered the art of concealing their 'cubicles'. As people involve more and more of their lives with the company, the more of it they control, the more they can take the guise of someone friendly and harmless."

Chi-Chi didn't know what to say back to this as he described something quite sinister. "Um…well…"

"Anyways, if you're interested, you're free to come along with me," he ended on a lighter note.

"Sure—I'd love to see how you spend the better part of the day."

She heard as he yawned though he politely covered his mouth as he did so. "Mmm, well, I hope I don't disappoint."

"As long as you promise to join me again at the park."

He turned to his side away from her at this and she chuckled at his antics.

"Auden," she stated plainly.

"Of course," he said after a while, "I'd love to be treated to your wonderful torture session."

"It's not that bad!" she declared.

He yawned again at this. "Yeah, sure."

He fell asleep soon after. It was amazing how quickly he could do so. For her, she was still energetic from her activities at the park. After she'd caught her breath, she'd actually been ready for more, but Auden had no second wind to speak of.

"One day," she said to herself, "It won't be so bad for you, Auden. And you might even actually enjoy it. Well, maybe…"

It took her a bit, but eventually she followed in suit after finally relaxing in the pitch blackness of the room.

* * *

Having thoroughly prepped herself for the day, Chi-Chi found herself looking at her reflection and frowning at what stared back at her. If Goku were to come back today and find her like this, would he even recognize her? Would he be embarrassed? She'd never been sure how much stock he put into their marriage in the first place. She wondered if he'd by now figured out what marriage meant or the responsibility that it entailed. Maybe it was her fault for trying to force things to work with the first guy she ever had a crush on. She'd been young and foolish, but she remained with him despite the circumstances. And he always came back home…eventually. She was still waiting for him.

On her first perusal of the bathroom, she'd stumbled upon the medicine cabinet that was chockful of prescription drugs all with difficult to pronounce names and most of them were half full. They were all Auden's as each container had his name on it. She stared at the sheer number of bottles for longer than she'd like to admit and then closed it in a hurry. Since she'd been with him, she'd not seen him take anything. Maybe he was so discreet about it that she'd missed it or maybe he was waiting until she was asleep to take them in the middle of the night. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. No one was perfect and he'd been checking all the right boxes with her—even ones she didn't know she had.

That morning out of morbid curiosity, she checked again to make sure she hadn't been mistaken the first time. She still hadn't seen him take any pills and it continued to confuse her. She'd been too shaken to open the other cabinet that was behind the mirror, but her curiosity won out. Bright, shiny bottles of skin care products and tools greeted her eyes and she found herself inspecting each bottle, reading the descriptions and instructions. Clearly, each one was part of a set. Just from the packaging and verbiage alone, she knew it had to be high-end products and all of them claimed to have some form of de-aging properties. _This_ was what he'd been talking about before. Apparently, everyone knew about this sort of thing except her! Her eyes eventually found the pricing which was printed in small text near the bottom—$107. Her eyes widened at this. It was far outside her budget. She had to blink back tears in her frustration.

"Are you shitting me? These prices are insane!" she exclaimed.

"Just another way society screws over the poor," came Auden's voice from behind.

She jumped in surprise having forgotten she'd left the bathroom door open. She turned to look at Auden who was leaning against the doorway with crossed arms. How long had he been there? Had he seen her snooping in his medicine cabinet as well?

"Companies know what they're doing when they overprice their products and it's disgusting," he continued despite her obvious surprise.

He didn't seem particularly upset much to her relief. "Well, it doesn't look like something I could buy on a whim," she said as she carefully put it back in its place. "I thought you said this stuff was commonplace. Here I was thinking it'd be more affordable."

"You can find a lot of inexpensive products that make the same claims, to be sure. Unfortunately, those brands cut far too many corners to make any real difference."

"Oh," Chi-Chi said sadly.

"They have a store in the mall. After work, I could take you there for a consultation and they can start you on a regimen that's suitable for your needs."

"Really? You'd do that for me?" she said in disbelief.

"Of course," he replied as if it was obvious.

"Oh my gawd. Thank you so much! I don't know what to say. I'm speechless!"

She moved to try to embrace him in all her excitement, but he put up a hand signifying that he didn't want her to step any closer.

"Please, hugs are unnecessary."

Her smile faded a little as she placed her arms at her side again.

"Do you still need the bathroom? We have a little less than half an hour to get ready and I haven't even started my usual routine."

"Yeah, I'm finished. Sorry," she said quickly as she moved passed him into the hallway. "I'm probably making you so late right now."

"No, it's alright. You gave me an excuse to sleep in a little longer." He was already in the bathroom running the sink water.

"Hey, did you want me to whip up some breakfast?" she asked.

"Only if you want to," he said glancing back at her. He had his hands on the doorknob.

"Sounds like a 'yes' to me. You can't fool me."

He only grinned in response. "Well, if you can excuse me," he said as he began closing the door.

"Oh, alright."

Chi-Chi wasn't used to being rushed out of the bathroom. She usually woke up earlier than anyone else or in the case of her living situation with her family now, she had her own bathroom. Being in such confined quarters was definitely something new to her especially in an urban setting.

Since she was already dressed, she made her way to the kitchen which was now becoming much easier to navigate around, and quickly pan-fried some food items for breakfast. Something told her that going to work on an empty stomach was a recipe for disaster and she had to be there the whole time—at least that's what she signed up for. Though it was somewhat exciting, she wondered once again what she was getting herself into. Would she even have anything to do while there? Would it be awkward for her? Would she simply just make a fool of herself being completely out of her element? As much as she wanted her son to have a respectable job, she'd never actually worked at one before. Would her own mannerisms give her away? She sighed to herself. This day might end up being a complete disaster.

Auden joined her at the table a few minutes later with phone predictably in hand. Did he also take that thing into the bathroom with him because he couldn't bear being away from it for more than a few minutes? Still, he gave her his full attention at the table despite her misgivings. They couldn't sit for long before they were rushing off to work. They wouldn't be late, he reassured her. He always set his time to be there twenty minutes before everyone else.

"What about my clothes? Do you think it'll pass for business attire?" she asked while sitting in the car on the passenger's side.

He seemed to _always_ wear business casual and today he looked just as clean-cut as usual. She could smell a subtle fresh woody scent from him. It suited him somehow. This along with his eyeglasses made him appear quite professional and, in her opinion, beside him she looked like a bumbling country girl wearing outdated fashion.

"I don't think it matters for you—you're a guest after all and not actually working there. Though today you look especially enchanting; like a princess from a faraway land."

"I would be a very old princess," Chi-Chi said looking away though her cheeks were burning profusely. "It's just a dress I picked out because it was cheaper than the others."

"It suits you very well," he insisted.

It was a style of dress that was more her speed similar to the kind she wore when Gohan was much younger—hardly anything to impress someone else. In fact, she couldn't remember anyone ever complimenting her for all the years she wore it. "Well," she began with a sigh, "Thank you." Her princess hood, at this point, was moot and wasn't worth bringing up. It had been a long time since she'd even felt like a princess. An abandoned wife whose existence revolved around whether she cooked for the day or not felt like a more apt description. Still, it was nice that he seemed to think that she was somehow fascinating. It gave her a warm feeling that she hadn't experienced in some time.

Chi-Chi walked side by side with Auden into his workplace—it was a substantial building with plenty of floors, yet Auden described it as a satellite location. Once in the right area, Auden introduced her to the people he worked with on a daily basis. She noticed immediately that most of them were women and they all seemed hyper-interested in her relationship to Auden. Chi-Chi was sure he repeated the fact that they were friends a hundred times in the span of three minutes. She started to expect to feel some animosity or jealousy—instead, they all seemed to admire her and place her on a pedestal. It felt a little uncanny. She hadn't been prepared for that at all.

"So are you two _really_ just friends?" the red head woman closest to her asked. She had a noticeable smoothness to her voice. In fact, she looked quite beautiful, with long wavy hair, very plump breasts, and a youthful air, all of which made Chi-Chi feel a little inadequate. Auden hadn't mentioned that he was working with models for most of the day.

Auden had just been pulled away to someone who urgently needed his help and this woman had stopped her before she could retreat back to his side again.

"O-Oh, yeah, of course. He said it right before."

The woman flashed her a brilliant smile. "No need to be coy, honey. None of us have any hard feelings."

"Us? What do you mean?" Chi-Chi asked though she suspected she knew what she was talking about.

The woman looked at her knowingly, "You're the first women who's not Aster he's ever brought along with him to work—that's enough evidence for me. You seem like a nice lady, more his speed."

"Well, thank you, but I think you have it all wrong—

"If anyone deserves to fall in love, to have some sort of real companionship with someone, it's our precious little Audi."

"Companionship? Listen, we've only just met a few days ago—

"And that's all it takes, my dear. Please, don't take him for granted or you will be hearing from me."

Chi-Chi's eyebrows furrowed at this. Was that a threat?

"My name's Rose, by the way. I know he already introduced us, but it's easy to forget names the first go around."

"Well, Rose, I don't take kindly to intimidation. Me and Auden are simply friends and since I happened to be in the area, he asked me to come along with him. That's all."

"Of course," she said with a smile. "Even if that is the case, the same rules still apply. We all adore and look after him—only as much as he allows, which isn't much, but we do our best."

"So you ladies are all just one big family, huh? How come he's never mentioned anything about you or anyone he works with before, if everyone's so caring?"

"Because he's a master at pushing people away and keeping them at armlength, honey," she answered unperturbed. "It's a terrible habit of his, but anyone can see that he must have gone through a lot back then—you can't fault him for that. We've all been worried about him for some time now and none of us have been able to help. This is the happiest I've ever seen him and I'm certain you're the reason for that."

Why did it suddenly feel like a heavy burden was being placed on her shoulders? She knew that Auden wasn't quite right based on what Bulma had told her had happened in her lab, but were things _this_ bad that people he worked with on a daily basis could tell something was wrong just by looking?

"I'm just being a good friend," she said, unwilling to engage much further.

"Well, whatever you want to call it. I'm glad that you are."

Chi-Chi looked over to where Auden was, already planning her escape from the woman. "It's been nice meeting you. Please excuse me," she said quickly.

She didn't even wait to hear a reply before she was making her way across the room, but she could feel eyes on her back. When she looked back, however, everyone seemed innocently engrossed in their bright screens on the tabletop. Did Auden know how much his coworkers adored him? She'd even go further and say that they worshipped him. She'd _have_ to have a talk with Auden about all of this. At the very least, he should be made aware.

She stayed near him for the time being though she was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable noticing that anytime anyone looked up, they paused their gaze at her and then onto Auden. It didn't take long for every other woman to get a good look at her. They were all very friendly, but she felt like she was in one of Gohan's petri dishes. Auden stopped at some point to speak to her alone when they were standing a little ways from everyone else.

"If you like, you can visit the recreational area so you don't have to sit through all this boring stuff. They dedicated the entire fifth floor for entertainment and rec purposes."

That sounded like a _great_ idea at the moment. Anyplace but here sounded great. "Thank you. I'll just leave you to your fun."

He laughed softly at this—it was a quiet environment and he probably didn't want to disturb anyone. "I'll see you in a while then. The elevator is just down the hall once you step out of here."

Chi-Chi beat a hasty retreat into the hallway and eventually onto the elevator. Though she wasn't used to those things, she quickly understood that pressing the number 5 would probably bring her to her destination. Once the elevator doors slipped open, she was presented with an entirely different atmosphere—there was certainly more color and the sound of whirring machines was nowhere to be found. It was quiet where she was as she stepped down the hall in wonder. Glass walls partitioned out the many rooms they had. She heard more noise much further down, but the magnificently large pool area caught her eye. Thankfully, no one was there. It seemed like a great place to relax.

The water was sparkling blue and the pool featured various levels of depth along with a diving board and even an impressive slide. There was an information booth as well with someone there likely monitoring the room and where one could borrow various equipment and items. Two other women were spread out further in the room sitting atop very tall chairs. Chi-Chi gave the woman at the booth a brief wave of acknowledgment before deciding to sit on the edge of the deepest end on the other side of the massive room. She took off her shoes and rolled up her dress a bit so that she could dip her toes in—the water was deliciously cool. She'd expected it to be ice cold, but she had a feeling that this was temperature controlled. This was as close to outside one could feel inside of a corporate building.

Eventually, she laid back onto the cement, kicking up the water every so often, and her eyes gazed up at the ceiling that seemed far, far away. A mural had been painted of a bright sunny sky with seagulls flapping away and clouds lazing about. It was so beautiful, she wondered how anyone could manage to paint something so realistic. If she let her mind wander, she could imagine actually being outside with the sun beating on her skin and the constant symphony of noises all around.

"Oh, my, another brave soul," came an older woman's voice from nearby.

Chi-Chi was quickly broken out of her daydream. She sat up so she could see the woman a little better. "Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing you." This seemed extremely unlikely considering how much space they had. She wondered why the woman had gone out of her way to come over and speak. She wore her graying brunette hair in a tiny bun and donned a full-coverage swimming suit—her legs looked quite toned.

"So _you're_ Chi-Chi, right?"

Chi-Chi looked at her in confusion. "Yes—how did you know?"

"News travels lightning fast around here, doubly so if it's about Mr. Sexy over there in data management. Plus, we're pretty close-knit and you're definitely a new face."

" _Really_ fast, apparently. I've barely been here an hour."

The woman chuckled heartily at this. "My name's Clair, by the way. I'm from R&D."

"Hello then, Clair."

Much to Chi-Chi's annoyance, Clair sat right next to her clearly not planning to leave her in peace. "Now that I have you all to myself, I suppose I can extract all the juicy details from you."

"Juicy details?" Chi-Chi parroted with shock. "I think you ladies are blowing this all out of proportion. If I had known it was going to be like this—"

"No worries, girl, we don't bite. It's just some harmless fun we're having. Now, I know you have eyes. The fact that someone that delectable is still somehow a bachelor in this late stage of life had all of us coming up with all these crazy ideas. He's super nice all the time, takes care of himself, and he's pretty much the best director anyone could ask for. When he's around, everything moves along smoothly. He values your hard work, he actually knows what he's doing, and he makes sure everyone keeps getting generous raises every year—and that's a _huge_ deal because our managers are liable to forget putting it into Payroll."

"Wow," Chi-Chi said impressed, "That's high-praise from someone from a completely different department."

"He oversees everyone here, but his office is in Data Management."

Chi-Chi could scarcely wrap her mind around how much responsibility that entailed. He seemed to take it in stride. Since she'd been visiting, he hardly brought up work at all. Maybe it was because like Clair said, everything was moving so smoothly. "So," she began after a moment, "What kind of silly ideas have you come up with about him? I'll let you know if you're hot or cold or if I have no clue. You probably know him better than I do though."

"Oh, I doubt it. As the only woman who's capable of making him laugh—yes, Rose told us about your little exchange with him a little while ago—you have way more insight."

"I should probably just stop being shocked at how much people already know around here. This is apparently a hot bed of gossipers."

Clair laughed at this. "No, just extremely bored middle-aged women. Anyways, one of the theories is that he's gay."

Chi-Chi shook her head at this. "I don't think so, but I can't say for certain."

"Keeping it close to the chest—I completely understand," she said with a knowing look. "Another theory that's a bit more tragic: he married the love of his life long ago and she passed away too soon which is why he wears a black ring on his right hand instead of his left. He's still mourning her loss."

"Ah, well, that's an involved narrative. I have no idea. He does have a daughter, so maybe?"

"That's what we thought. It sounds more likely, right? Okay, so another one which is what I like to believe is that he's extremely particular about women and since he _knows_ he can date any woman he wants, he takes his sweet time. And he's still saving himself for that one special person."

"Hmmm…Maybe, but don't you think it sounds a little farfetched?"

"I've heard of stranger things. Another one is that CC has his soul locked up somewhere and he's been forced to work for them so that he can win it back—it explains the lack of emotion _and_ his dedication to the job," she said somehow keeping a straight face.

"What?"

"Inside joke," she said with a laugh. "But CC loves trying to control your whole life and somebody got carried away with that one. Any truth to it?"

"I highly doubt it. He hasn't mentioned anything about his lack of a soul."

"Then a younger colleague came up with the idea that he's probably just asexual which, again, explains the black ring but also the fact that he wears it on his middle finger. Actually, that one's been picking up a lot of steam lately…"

"Well," Chi-Chi began slowly. "Actually, that's _quite_ warm." The fact that Pan was so fascinated with him in the first place was clue enough for her, but at some point she had brought up the fact that he was of this persuasion at the dinner table after Videl peppered her with questions. She still barely knew what that meant for Pan let alone Auden.

"Oooh," Clair said nodding slowly.

"But I don't know for sure," Chi-Chi added.

"Oh, you cruel lady, leaving me in the dark! I'll admit though that it'd knock the wind out of my sails, if that was even remotely true. It would be such a shame." Clair stood up after this. "While I still have some free time, I'd like to swim a few laps. Hope I'll see you more often."

Chi-Chi couldn't say that she shared her sentiment and couldn't figure out what to say before the woman was jumping off the edge and splashing into the water. The woman was nothing if not graceful as she quickly began gliding through the water. She was practically a fish. Chi-Chi had to admit that it was fascinating to watch her cut through the water so easily.

Sometime later—Chi-Chi wasn't keeping up with the time—Auden found her there in the pool area. He certainly seemed out of place in such a relaxing setting. Chi-Chi could already see Clair peeping her head out of the water in the distance. If she wasn't mistaken, Clair was giving her a thumbs up much to her embarrassment.

"I thought you might like to join me for lunch," he said to when he was in earshot.

The mention of food certainly perked her up. She had no idea what she wanted, but she knew lunch sounded perfect right now. "Yeah," she said climbing out of the pool, "I'm practically starving."

"Sorry, I got a little busy—it is a bit late for lunch, but they're still serving it now."

"Oh, they serve lunch here? I really shouldn't be surprised with a recreational area like this."

"It's pretty good too, though carryout is not allowed."

"Huh, I wonder why?" she said trying to dry her feet by wiggling each leg.

"You know," he began with a slightly darker tone, "to further entice people to never leave the premises. Let me get you a towel."

He left her a bit out of sorts with that answer, but she did need a towel at the moment. Chi-Chi was grateful when he came back with one from the booth. At least she didn't have to walk around on the cold floor with wet feet. She dried herself soon after and quickly put back on her footwear.

"What was all that before?" she asked referring to his last comment, "Everyone's just a little crazy around, aren't they?"

"Maybe," he said not disputing her, "In reality, we all know how CC slowly tries to control every aspect of your life, sinister or not. That way they can get higher and higher productivity out of each employee."

Chi-Chi nearly choked at this. "So you've sold your soul to the company?" she said playing along, hoping to catch him off guard.

"Oh that? They have it somewhere under lock and key and they haven't seen fit to return it—maybe one day though."

She wasn't sure if she should be taking that seriously. "You're feeding into the gossip, aren't you?"

"What was that?" he said innocently.

"Really, Auden?" she said loudly, barely able to keep a straight face.

"C'mon, already—I'm starving too," he said as they both began making their way out of the room.

"I can't believe you, Auden—so you know about all the stuff people have been saying about you?" she said once they were in the hall and going towards the elevator.

"I don't really pay attention on most days, but I found that one to be particularly amusing. Besides, it isn't too far from the truth."

Chi-Chi looked at him thoughtfully, but decided not to go down that road. "Isn't it weird though—with so many women around here and then everybody talking about you?" They were waiting for the elevator to come to their floor.

"I think it's great so many women have decided to pursue careers in engineering—it wasn't always like that. Bulma has inspired and continues to inspire many young women to do things that they actually like to do despite the stigma."

"That's…not what I was talking about and you know it." The elevator door opened as if on cue.

"I can't control what people decide to talk about on their free time," he said as he walked in the elevator with Chi-Chi. "I hope I've created a culture in which people aren't afraid to speak their minds and don't feel the need to walk on eggshells. I hope everyone views each other as their equal and that we are all here to fulfill a role—not to belittle or think anyone's more valuable than the next."

"I think that's an honorable philosophy to have."

"Unfortunately, it's not always so easy to maintain, especially working in a company that has very strict hierarchy, massive differences in pay, and different rules of engagement to someone depending on their position. At least in this building, we've done away with all the tedious formality. That's not the case elsewhere."

"I was kind of wondering about that. I mean, I'm not all that familiar with business environments, but this is definitely different from what I thought."

"How has it been?"

"Interesting. Actually, I guess not that bad. Everyone's been so welcoming."

"Good. That's what I like to hear."

Here, completely in his element, Auden was a great deal more at ease. It was clear that everyone respected him, and it wasn't until now that she realized that he actually took pride in his work and the people who worked alongside him. She found she liked this side of him along with all the others she'd witnessed thus far.

Auden guided her to the café that was on the floor above them and she was presented with a ton of options for lunch.

"This all looks very expensive and luxurious—'pretty good' is a very modest way of describing all this."

He grinned a little at this. "One gets used to it. Since all employees pay into this, you don't have to worry about paying anything upfront. We're allowed quite a few guests as well."

"Wow—that sounds incredible. You can get whatever you want and however much you want without paying anything?"

"Someone always has to pay, but I understand what you mean. You have free reign."

Chi-Chi was getting excited just looking around. She already had her eye on the sushi bar—definitely something that would cost an arm and a leg in her city.

"Now…if only people could apply this same concept to healthcare. Isn't it ironic how a completely authoritarian private company like CC can figure out the merits of socializing facets of their business before the government can?"

"Auden, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm going to get me some sushi right now."

"I think I'll have the same," he said, "It's been a while."

Generally, she was modest about which sort of sushi she partook in. Today she decided to order the fancier variety. There was a live chef there making it fresh—she was beginning to feel like a spoiled little princess just ordering whatever she wanted without worrying about the cost. Auden, apparently, had a taste for eel as he ordered all the varieties that included it in some way. Chi-Chi was in a bright mood once they chose a table near the window secluded somewhat from others and she was able to finally dig in.

"Geez, if I worked in a place like this, I'd never want to leave. I wonder why Gohan insisted on working from home."

"Maybe CC already has it's claws in you."

"Oh, stop," she said dismissively.

"I think Gohan has the right idea. Working from home definitely gives you a lot more flexibility. If you're disciplined enough, it's a perfect fit for most people."

"He's definitely disciplined," Chi-Chi said proudly. "He always gets up bright and early to go to his lab downstairs."

"It sounds like he really enjoys his work."

"I'd say so. I'd never thought I'd see the day the way everyone kept dragging him off to all those dangerous battles! But my Gohan isn't nearly into fighting as much as his father was."

"Hm," Auden said thoughtfully.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Not entirely, but I'm starting to see a theme."

"Be glad you don't really understand. It's not a world you want to involve yourself."

"Well, now you have me curious."

"I was hoping the opposite."

Chi-Chi wasn't looking at Auden as she dipped her piece of sushi into the soy sauce, but she felt his gaze on him. She pretended not to notice hoping he might drop the subject and start with another.

"Somehow Vegeta is involved, I bet."

"You have no idea. That delinquent is the epicenter of danger."

Auden left her last words hanging for a while as he finally started on his food. "In that case, perhaps I should give him a wide berth."

"That would be the sensible thing," Chi-Chi replied.

"Though he was quite helpful to me in the end."

"Don't let him fool you," she almost spat but managed to keep her tone respectful.

"He also seems very knowledgeable about this 'ki'."

"Not _humans_ and ki," she clarified, "But I'm sure he has a lot of personal experience."

"So he's not human," Auden stated matter-of-factly.

Chi-Chi almost choked on the morsel in her mouth. She had to take down a few sips of water to clear her throat. In the meantime, Auden was already looking at her full of concern.

"Are you—

"No, I'm fine," she asked before he finished his obvious question. "I'm fine. I just had something stuck in my throat. Anyway, I wouldn't bother trying to figure any of this out—it's not worth it. I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to get involved with Vegeta. Let's just move on already."

"Alright," he said backing off much to her relief. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset!" She realized that she'd raised her voice a bit too much as she noticed eyes on her from the occupants. "I'm not upset," she said calmer. "Why don't you…tell me about what you've been doing all day while I was at the pool."

"Well, a number of things," he began slowly, "But I hardly think you'd be all that interested in hearing about it."

She looked at him with pursed lips, "I asked, didn't I?"

"You did," he agreed simply.

Then from there he went into painful detail about his day and she immediately regretted it. She'd know better next time—never under any circumstances ask him for details about his work. It was all flying right over her head as she smiled and nodded along. Did he know that she wasn't following in the slightest? He gave no indication that he did, but surely he must've known. Even when he would pause and ask if she understood or asked if she agreed, she'd smile and nod. Chi-Chi was glad when their meal came to a close so that she could escape the techy, business jargon. He took her dishes as he usually did and put them in the front along with the other emptied plates. He seemed quite amused on his return.

"What?" she asked confused at his expression.

"I don't know what to make of you sometimes."

Chi-Chi could only give him a gentle smile as she wasn't willing to admit the obvious.

"Will you be returning with me or exploring a bit more?" he asked further.

"I'll think I'll do more exploring. If I've learned anything in the past few minutes, it's that I probably wouldn't get much from shadowing you all day."

"Well then, I'll see you in a while. I'll try not go overtime."

"You better not," she said playfully.

Truthfully, she wanted to leave already, but she was still curious about the recreational area since she hadn't actually looked everywhere. They parted ways and Chi-Chi found herself on the fifth floor on her own. The pool area was nice, but what else was there to offer? Her eyes widened at the plethora of activities beyond—ice skating, roller skating, bowling, a movie theater, a well-equipped gym which she was eyeing for some time before continuing. She found a huge videogaming lounge—a place in which Goten would have immediately fell in love. There were more specialty eateries and juice bars as well as more gaming areas that included pool and card games. That's where she'd been hearing the noise before. There was even putt-putt and tennis. Just how much could CC pack onto one floor? She wasn't really wearing the right clothes for many of these things, but she felt she had enough flexibility in her dress to a do a bit of roller skating.

It would be nice to get in some exercise before having to do it with Auden later. Other people were out there too, but she purposefully stayed out of their way so that she could skate in peace. It had been a long time since she'd done this. For the first few minutes, she was focusing on regaining her balance and technique. Once she was able to manage it, she started skating in full force with long strides. She enjoyed how fast she was flying through the air and the feeling of her feet gliding beneath her. It was so enchanting, she wound up skating about the rink for much longer than anticipated. She stopped, only when her breath gave out and she was in danger of falling flat on her face in exhaustion. She sat in the lounge outside the room for some time waiting for her racing heart to calm. She knew she would be feeling that in the morning. It would be a familiar pain that she welcomed.

"You were magnificent out there," a woman's voice interrupted the silence around her.

Chi-Chi had been sitting back on the long booth, but when she looked up she beheld a tall, stunning blond woman with sparkling blue eyes. She couldn't help but stare at her. The woman smiled and then laughed.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, but I've been dying to speak to you. I'm Seria."

Chi-Chi scolded at herself for being so awkward and finally responded. "Thank you, first of all. I had no idea I had audience. I'm _really_ rusty, by the way, and the other girls out there were way more skillful."

"You're so modest! You were so fast and graceful out there, I could hardly see you at times. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

That such a ridiculously ravishing woman was giving her such glowing reviews was a little off putting. She simply couldn't believe that Auden managed to work with such smart, good-looking women who apparently adored him and not have even been mildly interested. What in the world did Auden see in her because she was totally missing it. The more she thought about it, the more it just didn't make any kind of sense.

"I guess you have. Everyone seems to already know me."

"News travels fast," she explained as she sat down beside Chi-Chi. "Only a truly special woman could draw Director Tyga's attention. How must it feel like to have his singular attention?"

"Um, well, I wouldn't know—we're just friends." She was already starting to repeat herself.

"He probably needs that more than anything. Someone to talk to, someone to confide in. Oh, I would love to be in your shoes as he tells you all his deep, dark secrets."

"I hope he doesn't have too many of those. I don't know if I'd be ready for that."

"A strong woman like you? I bet you can handle far more than you give yourself credit. I can tell."

To hear such confident praise from a stranger was definitely new for her. She was hoping she'd wake up from this ego-driven fantasy of hers. Otherwise, there was no way to explain everyone's behavior around her. Auden was apparently some kind of celebrity here. She got the sense that _everyone_ loved him and _everyone_ was looking out for him. How could someone so popular seem so lonely? But perhaps she already had an answer to that in a sense. Considering how much she knew her family loved her and depended on her continued presence, she'd been feeling extremely lonely for a long time.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"We can all use a little pep talk every once in a while," she said with a smile. "Are you liking the recreational area?"

"It's been incredible. I feel like CC thought of everything when it came to this. The rooms are huge _and_ they're still selling food."

"Only healthy options though, but I don't mind. I love getting the smoothie around here. When I first came here, I felt like a little girl in a candy store and had to try every single thing in one day. Did you know they have archery back there too in the same place as the open gym?"

"No," Chi-Chi said amazed.

"It's great for toning and building muscle in your arms. I do it every time I'm here."

"That sounds like an interesting pastime. I don't know if I'd try it today though."

"Oh yeah, no—it's getting a little late. I was just there and I'm just winding down until it's time to go."

"Do you work here?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Actually, no, I'm just the wife of one of the managers who work here. I come out here all the time. If you really want to get immersed in the culture, you should try joining in some card games. People are so friendly around here and I'm sure it'll be doubly so for you."

"Because I'm associated with Auden?"

"Yep," she said with a smile. "I haven't actually met him before, but I hear enough about him on a daily basis that I feel like I've known him forever."

"Do you have any idea why he's so popular?"

"That's a good question," Seria said thoughtfully. "I'm guessing it's because he's so nice! My husband told me that it's just not the norm at CC. Everyone is usually so focused on meeting certain goals and trying to move up through the ranks, that it's generally more cutthroat. While they promote a family atmosphere, it was more of like a veneer to make the company _seem_ like it was caring about the employees. I've been here for a long time and it has definitely changed. Mark is so much less stressed. No one's trying to sabotage each other anymore. I think it's because Auden had an entirely different philosophy about work that he wasn't afraid of implementing. The way he worked with people and eventually became the director—it was really inspiring. You can do all that and not screw over other people. His department started doing so much better than the others and so his way of thinking became infectious. From what I could tell, Auden always made sure that everyone was reaping the rewards of their success. They say, every time he gets a bonus of any kind, he splits it among everyone else—and it still turns out being a substantial amount because my husband was able to buy a house outright. We'd been waiting to pay off a few bills first before starting a family and just like that we were able to do it."

"I think I understand a little better," Chi-Chi said, "He's materially improved everyone's lives and it's something outside the norm. I can see why everyone would like a person like that."

"Yeah, exactly. We all know that his goal is to make sure everyone is well taken care of. It does help that he's also pretty cute," she finished with a smile.

Chi-Chi couldn't help but grudgingly smile at this. "As I've been reminded a few times today."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say though. It all comes secondary to the thing that everyone actually likes about him. His selflessness is what shines through the most in my opinion that is what truly makes him beautiful." Seria stood up after this. "Well, hope to see you around again sometime. Maybe we could do some archery. I'm going to go meet Mark in his office."

Seria waved goodbye before taking off. The other people in the lounging area was starting to do the same. Though they didn't all come over to introduce themselves—thank God—they did make sure to say their farewells as they left a few at a time. It was winding down now. She wondered when the place officially closed and how far overtime they'd allow people to stay.

After hearing from Seria, it confirmed what Chi-Chi had been suspecting all along about Auden's popularity. She knew it could not have been his winning personality—not that she minded his personality, but she wouldn't describe it as particularly congenial, not any more so than the next person. In fact, she would say that he was actually a bit awkward and somewhat subversive. He was someone who was slightly off-kilter from everyone else and didn't do too much to adjust or try to hide it.

Chi-Chi finally made her way to Auden. While it had been a long day for her, she imagined it must have felt even longer for him as he'd actually been working the whole time. This was the sort of lifestyle that she'd been pushing her son towards, but she could see why someone might be averse to it. She could never see Goku committing himself to such a regimen and she was glad that Gohan had found a way around it somewhat.

"You ready?" Chi-Chi asked as he came walking towards her.

She'd waited until it seemed like he was done discussing something with Rose before making herself known.

"Hold on a moment. I promise I won't be long."

Chi-Chi waited with crossed arms as he made his way into his personal office likely grabbing some of his effects before emerging once again. Finally. She wanted to leave as soon as possible. In the back of her mind, she'd been thinking about the facial consultation that Auden had mentioned that morning.

"Okay," he said when was within earshot.

She started off immediately out of the building and waited until she was outside to breath a sigh of relief. He wore an amused expression as he observed her.

"Did you get bored?" he asked.

"Not really, I'm just excited to be outside again. It's actually been quite enlightening today."

"I'm glad," he said with a brief nod. "I also took the liberty of making an appointment with the skincare company. We have a few minutes to get there now."

"Well then we better get a move on."

"Agreed."

Soon they were off to the local mall which she'd been to a few times with Bulma. She remembered quite a few trips of window-shopping, looking at things that she couldn't possibly afford on a whim. Every once in a while, when she saved a bit of money, she'd splurge on herself. That felt like another lifetime ago though. These days, she hardly ever ventured out the house. She was in the process of turning a new leaf with Auden's help.

They had to hustle to get to the place as it took time to find an open parking space in the evening and they used an entrance that was far away from their destination. Once there, however, she had to take a deep breath to compose herself. Auden stood nearby waiting patiently. Then she finally stepped in.

"I'll wait for you in the front," Auden told her.

There was a nearly full waiting area in the front, but she'd be admitted in quickly thanks to the set appointment. Apparently, most people didn't bother. She walked up to the front and stated her name. The front desk receptionist smiled in recognition stating that she was just in time. Another woman escorted her further in. The office itself had a very sleek and futuristic aesthetic. Doors slid open quickly and quietly as she walked through and there was a subtle smell of roses in the air.

A very personable lady met her in the room and she looked flawless. She introduced herself and claimed that she was over seventy years old.

"What!?" Chi-Chi exclaimed unable to hide her surprise.

"That's right and I stand by our products. Now let's see if we can help you reach your goals."

They discussed not only the target look she was going for, but other pertinent information like any potential allergens she had or preference as to what sort of application she preferred—lotions, oils, serums, toners, or a combination. Soon after a quick checkup with a device that could pinpoint her key issues, a targeted regimen was put together in the blink of an eye. Chi-Chi could tell that this was high-end because there was no mention of price the entire time and she didn't make the mistake of bringing it up. If she had to make an estimate, it was probably costing well over a thousand dollars. Auden was spoiling her into oblivion and she didn't mind it at all.

"See? Now that was easy, wasn't it?" the woman said with a smile revealing her perfect row of teeth. "Remember, it takes a couple months of consistent application to start seeing the changes, but trust us, you won't regret it once the magic starts happening. Now, we've gone ahead and given you a year's supply—does that sound reasonable?"

"Oh, um, yea-yes, that's fine," Chi-Chi said. Auden hadn't exactly told her that he was on some kind of budget. But a year's supply? She didn't even want to think of the price tag on that.

" _And_ if you like the results, you can always sign up for an annual subscription—most people end up doing that. We're here for you, Chi-Chi, and you can come in as many times as you want free of charge. We'll set you up for a few more appointments to make sure there aren't any complications or any need to make a few changes with the regimen. Okay?"

"Alright," Chi-Chi said, "I can't wait to get started!"

The woman smiled brightly. "Me too. I can't wait to see how you've come along in the coming weeks. Now, do you have any questions for me?"

"I can't think of any right now, but I'll be sure to call if I do."

"Please do! If you can't catch us on our regular business hours, we also have 24-hr customer service on-line and they're very knowledgeable about our products. We've been given a five-star rating on our customer service for over a decade."

"Well, that's good to know," Chi-Chi said nearly overwhelmed now with all the information she was getting.

"We're setting up your personalized box right now as we speak so please follow me out to the front."

She felt just like a pampered princess as she followed the woman back out to the front. She noticed the waiting room wasn't nearly as crowded as before. They were nothing if not efficient. Auden was at the front desk and she almost missed the moment he slid a card—likely his credit card—back into his wallet. Had he already paid for it? He only noticed her a few moments after and he seemed quite pleased to see her again. Chi-Chi found that she wanted to run over and hug him, but she knew almost for certain that he wouldn't like it. Instead, she bounded towards him with more than a little pep.

"You already seem like a new woman," Auden said with the beginnings of a smile.

"Not yet—but give it some time."

The receptionist soon brought out a very cute looking turquois bag holding the box containing everything she'd need. Just holding it in her hands was making her feel giddy. She wanted to go home right in this instant to try it on, but they had other pressing matters to get to—namely their appointment with the park. Chi-Chi thanked the lady before exiting with Auden. Looking at how she hadn't heard anything about payment—Auden must have discretely paid it upfront. It was ridiculously generous of him and once again she wondered what she was getting into spending so much time with him. She couldn't deny that she was in an impossibly good mood though.

Just so her very premium purchase could remain in good condition, Auden brought her back to his place so that she could store it inside. Then it was off for the park. They arrived a little earlier than yesterday. The sun was still out and beginning to set. The relatively hot day was just beginning to cool down which was perfect for their purposes.

"Well, here we are again," Chi-Chi said brightly.

"Here we are," he repeated in a dreary tone.

"I bet it'll be a little easier today. Now let's get started!"

Despite his misgivings, he was actually quite responsive to her commands. They started with stretching which worked out just as well as yesterday only this time, she couldn't stop herself from giggling at his efforts. She was afraid that he'd be discouraged by this, but he seemed equally as amused. She wasn't sure if he noticed, but she put in a bit more stretches this time for his sake. He obviously needed a lot of help in that department. As before, once they moved on to the basic techniques again, it was smooth sailing. She tested his knowledge on the last session, and he'd retained everything down to the most minute details. Clearly, he'd been paying attention. They did a few more repetitions on the first two techniques to further imprint them into his memory and finally she taught him two more techniques that were more involved.

Here she took her time slowly showing him the proper form. It reminded her of the time she'd taught Goten all those years before only now was a little better because Auden was less obnoxious and more attentive. She didn't have to repeat herself over and over. Dare she say, it was easier than it had been before. Eventually, she was having him repeat the formations and she could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. At first slow, she increased the pace gradually. Then without warning, she told him to perform the first two techniques which he performed without even blinking an eye. It was a beautiful thing to see. She couldn't wait to see just how long that sort of prowess would last as she taught him more and more techniques. She joined in as well—not to fight against him, of course to make the same movements. She struck out with far more force than Auden out of habit. Clearly, he wasn't picturing an opponent as she was.

He lasted about as long as last time. She left him to catch breath as she commenced on her jogging. She was really getting in a lot of exercise today. While she still didn't think she was doing enough, it was much more than what she'd been doing before. She pushed herself to do a few more laps before tapping out. In fact, she might have pushed herself a little too hard as she struggled a bit to get back to where she'd left Auden.

She'd expected him to be on his phone, but he was instead dozing off. Perhaps a full day's work was finally taking its toll. She felt a little bad disturbing one who looked so peaceful, but it had to be done if they were going to get home in a timely manner. Besides, she was already itching to start dinner. It wasn't too difficult to wake him much to her relief and very soon after they were on their way home.

Chi-Chi found herself later on, stirring the pot of stew she'd decided on making in the spur of the moment, humming as she did so. Every once in a while, she'd peek her head out the kitchen to see if Auden was still nearby. The dining room was right outside the kitchen and one had to only take a couple steps to be at the table. He happened to be sitting at the dining room table. They'd been speaking before, but once she became fully engrossed in her cooking, she likely left him hanging on whatever topic they'd manage to get on—she'd already forgotten. He'd taken out his phone at some point, so it wasn't likely he'd be interrupting her anytime soon. She noticed something a little off and took another peek to make sure she'd seen right. He wasn't wearing his eyeglasses as usual. Idly, he tapped the temple tips against his mouth as he squinted at the glowing screen of his phone which was now quite close to his face. It looked unnecessarily difficult, if not outright harmful to his already failing eyesight.

"Auden!" she said loudly, startling him in the process.

He looked at her questioningly.

"Use your glasses already—it's painful just watching you."

"Oh," he said realizing what she was upset about. "I would, but it's really not helping anymore. This is easier."

"What? You mean you have the wrong prescription?" she asked concerned.

"I guess," he said as if he wasn't quite sure of that fact.

"Wait, you've just been using the _wrong_ prescription _and_ you've been driving? That's dangerous!"

"No, this just happened today very gradually now that I think about it. I thought I was just imagining things, but I've had this very subtle headache all day and I'm pretty sure now it's because of these glasses and that I've been straining to see through them. Now everything's blurrier when I put them on."

"Are you going blind then?" Chi-Chi said panicking, "Maybe I should add more carrots into the stew or something."

"I hope not. I probably just need a new prescription. No worries."

"No worries! You could be going blind and no one's supposed to make a big deal about it?"

"It's not that serious. It was bound to happen at some point," he said completely unperturbed as he returned to his previous position.

"But in the meantime," Chi-Chi said stalking over to him and easily taking the phone out of his grasp. "No more bright, computer-y screens!"

"But—wait, I was in the middle of something!" he said in desperation.

"How do you turn the light off on this thing anyway?" she said pressing buttons on the side.

For a split second, their hands touched as he snatched the phone out of her hand much harder than she expected.

"Hey!" she cried out.

"Just hold on—" He paused when he looked at the screen closely. "Shit," he said under his breath.

She thought for a moment that he was actually upset with her, but he silently placed the phone down on the table with the screen turned off.

"Sorry," she said finally when the silence became drawn out and he was staring down at the table as if he was completely lost.

"All my progress is gone—it's fine though," he said with a sigh, "I was struggling to get through it anyway. I was just making things worse. I'm sure I'll come up with something better later on when I'm not forcing it." He put it away in his side pocket.

"It's for your own good," she said before returning to her work in the kitchen.

"But now I'm bored," he complained just loud enough for her to hear over the boiling.

"I won't be too much longer."

In fact, she was almost done as she continued to stir and check the food for doneness. She took out the necessary bowls and poured in a modest amount for each of them. She had no clue how much Auden would want this time so she simply matched it with hers. As it turned out, he ended up going back for seconds and then thirds. She had no idea what to make of that. Despite his increased appetite, she still wound up having to store the rest of the food. It was difficult only cooking for two.

The day was finally winding down and it felt like it had been one of the longest she'd ever had. Her knew de-aging products were safely sitting on the floor next to her side of the bed, but she hadn't used them tonight. Purely due to preference, she wanted to start on the new regimen at the start of the day rather than at the end just to keep things equal.

It was much easier to fall asleep that night and Auden was already down for the count. As soon as she closed her eyes, that was all it took. Generally, she wasn't the best at finding sleep in new settings, but his bed was devilishly soft and seemed to always smell faintly of clean linen. It was difficult not to become relaxed especially in the presence of someone who gave off a constant air of placidity.

Chi-Chi found herself sitting in a darkened living room. As she looked around, she realized that it was completely unfamiliar to her. Where was she? Immediately she sensed someone beside her and turned to find Auden there looking at her intently with those piercing blue eyes of his. Had he been there the whole time? Why was she just now noticing him? She couldn't really read his expression, but she knew something wasn't right especially when he leaned in closer. They'd never been that close before at least not like this. Then suddenly he was kissing her—not softly, but aggressively. Her eyes were wide open in fright completely unprepared. When she tried to rip herself away, he yanked her back. She tried to wiggle herself out, but he had an iron grip on her. She tried smacking him, but he ignored it altogether. A yelp escaped her when he bit down on her lower lip.

"Get _off_ of me!" she screamed out angrily. She could feel a trickle of blood sliding down her chin.

He was still fully engaged in kissing her with eyes closed, clearly getting pleasure out of it all. As she pulled back, he leaned forward until she was on her back and he held a more dominant position. He hadn't even bothered to speak. All she could hear was the occasional grunts of satisfaction as he continued to engage her. He seemed to be in his own little world. All her attempts to push him away were futile. It was like fighting against an immovable brick wall.

"STOP, PLEASE STOP!" she cried out in frustration between moments where he paused for a split second to breathe. "AUDEN—STOP! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

Then she was in complete darkness. It took her a moment to realize that she had woken up and that she was back in the bedroom. Out of an irrational fear born from her inexplicable dream, she glanced over at Auden's form beside her. He'd changed positions significantly in the night—while at first on his back now he was on his stomach with his face turned away from her. She breathed a sigh of relief. What in the world just happened? Did that mean anything significant? Should she be worried? She had no idea what to think.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep again. It was beginning to feel like an impossible task. She laid in relative silence and listened to the low hum of a loud but far off HVAC unit along with the whooshing of cars still speeding through the city. Being in the suburbs back at home with Gohan, she wasn't privy to such sounds, but she wasn't particularly bothered by it. Because of the design of the bed, movement on the mattress was almost completely nullified upon contact, but she did feel the subtle shift in weight as Auden moved about. When she glanced over, she found that he was turned towards her now. Still, there was a ton of space between them. Besides, she'd be able to easily defend herself against the actual Auden who probably hadn't touched a dumbbell in his life. She returned to her pretend sleeping, waiting and waiting.

She felt him turning again a total of three more times and the latest one she could have sworn she heard a groan. There was no way he could actually be asleep being so active like this.

"Auden?" she called out.

The only thing she got was more shifting on his part.

"Will you cut it out already?"

This time a few moments later, she could hear moaning coming from his direction muffled though they were by the pillow and it was most likely in discomfort. Was he having a bad dream too? Or worse yet—was it about her?

"Auden," she said a bit louder, but he didn't respond.

He'd turned away from her again and then back to her—clearly tossing and turning. She weighed the options of letting this continue on like this or not, but if his dream was anywhere as frightening as hers perhaps it would be a mercy to wake him up from it. She shook him roughly so that he could snap out of it. Very quickly she found herself fending off flailing arms. She tried to move forward so that she could place calming hands on his shoulders, but he backed off quickly.

"No—please! I didn't mean to!" he cried out before crashing to the ground on the other side taking the comforter with him.

Under better circumstances, she might have laughed at his antics, instead she was just concerned that he'd hurt himself. He hadn't exactly leaped back to his feet. She crawled over the bed and peered down at his sprawled form. She couldn't see him very well and she wasn't familiar enough with his room to find the lamp.

"Are you okay?" All she could hear was his quick heavy breathing as if he was still scared. "It's just me, Auden. Just Chi-Chi, okay?"

"Chi-Chi?" he repeated between breaths. With a groan, she heard him sitting up. "I thought—well, nevermind."

"Having a rough night?"

She waited for him to respond, but he still seemed to be catching his breath and she was left trying to make him out in the darkness.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," he finally said.

"No, no, it's fine. I wasn't having such a great night either."

"I think I just need to use the bathroom," he said quickly.

Though with a little bit of trouble climbing to his feet, Auden left the room in a hurry. She wondered if he really was having a horrible dream about her. She'd wanted to talk about it, but he cut the conversation abruptly.

"Of course," Chi-Chi said to herself. Even someone as soft-hearted as Auden didn't want to talk about such personal, vulnerable things.

She gathered back up the comforter, spread it back on the bed, and laid down again to attempt to sleep again—an endeavor that was quickly becoming a lost cause. The walls were thin, and the bathroom was close by. She would have heard the flushing of a toilet at some point, but many minutes passed and nothing of the like occurred.

"Screw it," she said thrusting the comforters aside.

She climbed out of bed and padded down the hall until she got to the closed door of the bathroom. Instead of alerting him of her presence, she listened carefully. She could hear something faintly, so she crept closer and pressed her ear to the door.

He was quietly sobbing—the quick, uneven intakes of breaths and the sniffles were all telltale signs. Listening to it just made her feel depressed. She had no idea why he was crying, but she felt terrible about it. She wondered if she should let him be for the night. Somehow that felt wrong even if doing anything else was likely intrusive. Chi-Chi sat down and carefully pressed her back up against the door.

"I'm here for you, Auden. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

She wasn't expecting a reply, but she had to let him know that much. Sitting with him seemed like the least she could do. Gradually, the crying did subside after some time. It felt like an eternity had passed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she ventured.

He cleared his throat at this. "I'd rather not. It wouldn't do much good." His voice was surprisingly clear. "You mentioned something earlier about not having a great night?"

"Oh, I wasn't sure you were listening. It's not worth discussing really…" It probably wasn't the best time to bring up the fact that her dream consisted of a very predatory version of Auden that made little to no sense. She couldn't think of any charitable way to interpret it.

"Too personal?"

"Too weird," Chi-Chi corrected.

"Hm," he said thoughtfully.

They were quiet for some time, but Chi-Chi could sense that he was nowhere near ready to go anywhere. He wound up being the one to break the silence.

"I haven't taken my medicine in two days now—maybe this is my just dessert."

"Your medicine?" she asked trying not to reveal that she'd seen his medicine cabinet.

"I'm sure you must have noticed it already in the cabinet, open for any curious person to see."

"Well—

"It's alright. I wasn't trying to hide anything. Aster would be beyond furious if she found out."

"Only you, ultimately, know what you need to take or not take. You know if something is or isn't working for you. No one can tell you that, but yourself."

"For these past couple days, my mind has been so crystal clear. I understand things much quicker, I can absorb things at a pace I haven't seen since childhood. All that fog and cloudiness constantly making each and every task that much more difficult and the constant drain on my energy—all of that was gone. Being able to interact with the world like that? Honestly, it's felt surreal."

"Do you still feel that way?"

"Well, yeah, but—it's not supposed to be that way."

"Who says?"

"My doctor, the one who knows way more about this stuff than I do. I _have_ to take those pills or else…"

"Or else what?" she pressed.

"I'll stop functioning altogether."

She paused for a moment as she let his words sink in. "But you took that risk anyway and now days have passed. Do you feel like you're in danger of returning to that?"

"No, not like how it was before. It's definitely not as bad as it was before. Maybe it's because you've been here."

"I don't control how you deal with your own emotions. Something you've done has changed things."

"I'd like to think that."

"And…maybe this has something to do with your ki."

"That power from before…" he said almost to himself.

"Yeah. Ki definitely has an effect on one's emotions and physical body. From my experience, I know that it can boost your confidence. I mean, I guess I don't have any scientific evidence or anything, but I've seen it all too often. You just have so much of it that I wouldn't be surprised if it was effecting you somehow."

"I have no idea, but I suppose you have more experience with that than I do."

"This is what you should do," Chi-Chi said as an idea came to mind. "Setup an appointment with your doctors—optometrist, psychiatrist, whoever—and have them re-evaluate you. Maybe they'll find something different. Maybe you won't have to take all those pills anymore."

"You really think so?"

"I believe you know what you're talking about so just go get an expert opinion to confirm it. Then you don't have to wonder anymore."

"I think I will take your advice. I have to go at some point to get new prescriptions for my glasses anyway."

"How would you be able to get anywhere in the meantime, if I wasn't here?"

"I'd take a cab."

"Oh," she said after a moment, "Forgot about that."

"Don't worry about me."

"Well, you're not exactly making that easy for me."

"My apologies."

She sat with him a while longer until her eyelids became heavy with tiredness. Though she'd been restless before, now it was apparently gone. With a yawn, she climbed slowly back to her feet—she definitely struggled to do so. Maybe sitting on the floor hadn't been one of her better decisions.

"I'm going back to bed—you should join me whenever you can. You'll feel it in the morning, if you fall asleep in there."

"Yeah, I know," he said wearily.

She waited for a moment longer. When she heard no further movement from him, she trudged back down the hall. Immediately upon entering the room, she could hear his phone vibrating under the pillow. She was tempted to look at it, but instead stilled her curiosity. She was hoping it would stop after a while, but it kept going and going. It was beginning to sound like something urgent. Eventually, when she couldn't take it anymore, she reached under to find out who was calling in the dead of the night. She read the caller ID—Pan. She wondered if she should just answer it…

* * *

 **AN** : Well, I'll just leave you there on a cliffhanger! Otherwise, this chapter would go on for an eternity. 😊

What the heck guys? I'm so off-script with this story. I wrote the outline and now I'm way off on some other plotline. I don't know. I'm just having fun here, but there will be more Pan in the story. Anybody enjoying the Chi-Chi/Auden romance as much as I am? Life just throws curveballs at you, doesn't it? I still have a lot more things in store. So much to write, so little time. Oh and, be healthy and safe out there everyone. Stay alert, not anxious.


	9. Machi and Jr Reintroduction

**"Finally!"** Pan said as soon as the ringing stopped and she wasn't switched to voicemail, "I've been trying to call you for ages! Dad has been hounding me for days about Grandma—I told him that she's fine, but he's still really worried. I know she's with you, but I didn't think it was a good idea to tell him that specifically. Seriously though, have you kidnapped her? When are you going to let her go home?"

"Excuse me," Chi-Chi's voice said over the phone, "I was not kidnapped, if you want to know. I _chose_ not to go back home and it's none of his business where I am."

"Grandma?" Pan asked surprised. "This is even better! Could you please just go back home?—Dad is really worried about you. Did you guys have an argument or something?"

"Honey, I don't really feel like discussing this right now. This is between me and him. I'll let him know that I'm fine so he can stop bothering you, okay?"

"Okay," Pan said after a long moment. "But I don't understand. What's going on?"

Pan was currently in Malachi's house with Bra. Dad had called her in the middle of the night and luckily, she'd been awake enough to answer him. It wasn't the strangest thing in the world for him to call her at this hour—he usually worked late into the night while everyone else had already gone to bed. Often times, he would become so laser focused on his work that it would be difficult to even drag him out of the lab for dinner. Pan was sitting on the side of the bed and her best friend was fast asleep on the other side, blissfully unaware of all the panic she was beginning to have.

Initially, she'd been fine with knowing that at least Grandma was safe if she was with Auden, but then as she thought about it, it didn't quite make sense that she'd be with him. Auden hated having strangers over. She hadn't wanted Dad to panic so she continued to reassure him until it came to a head that night and she promised that she'd make sure she'd bring Grandma back home safe and sound.

She heard someone in the background and Grandma speaking to that person.

"It's Pan on the phone," Pan heard Grandma say, "You want to speak to her?—yeah, I guess you're right, she _did_ call you. Don't you dare start that cellphone business up with me again—I don't need one!"

Suddenly, Pan heard Auden's voice but much closer. "Hello, Pan. Did you need something?"

Pan sighed exasperatedly. He wasn't the least bit concerned about anything. She'd called him in the middle of the night after all. Shouldn't he assume that this was some kind of emergency? Then again, Auden was hardly the emotional type, she shouldn't have been surprised. It also seemed like neither of them had actually been asleep. Did anyone actually sleep at reasonable times these days?

"Auden, you should know better. I don't know what's going on anymore, but you can't _keep_ Grandma at your place. I thought you didn't like strangers over there anyway."

"We came to a mutual agreement and she decided to stay here."

"Do you even understand what I'm talking about?" Pan said exasperatedly.

"Honestly, I don't. Chi-Chi is not a child and she is capable of making her own decisions. You and Gohan seem like smart people—I'm sure you know what that means."

She could hear clear irritation in his tone as if _she_ was the one getting on _his_ nerves. Pan couldn't believe it. The voice sounded like Auden, but he certainly wouldn't speak like that to her. She supposed he had a point though. "Well, maybe if she'd let him know beforehand, Dad wouldn't be so worried."

"On that point, you're probably right. Had I known; she could have called him on my phone. I have a feeling though, that this is a bit of a double standard."

"Could you please just tell her to come home?" Pan said desperately. She _really_ didn't want Dad to call her about the same thing.

"It seems she doesn't want to. She'll call him and we can put this matter to rest."

"But why?" Pan asked confused, "Why are you making this difficult?"

"Pan, I will hang up this phone unless you actually have something of substance to talk about. It's late and I'm tired."

Pan was flabbergasted with his agitated tone. "Are you…okay, Auden?"

"Goodnight, Pan—

"W-Wait, I'm being serious," she said quickly. "You sound…different. Is everything okay?"

She could hear him sighing on the other end. "I appreciate your concern, I really do, though I'm a little surprised to hear it."

"What do you mean?"

"You've stopped responding to all of my texts, voicemails and missed calls. I think I got the hint loud and clear."

"Oh," Pan said smacking the palm of her hand on her forehead. "I'm _so_ sorry. I got your messages and everything, but I've been so busy lately. It totally slipped my mind to respond to you. But, yeah, I'm doing fine. Everything's going great actually."

"That's great, but I wasn't particularly upset about that—well, maybe a little annoyed. Like I said, it's late. It hasn't been such a good night for me, and I'd like to get some sleep before another early start as I'm sure is the case for you too."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Auden. Maybe we should talk later."

"Perhaps," he said quickly. "It may not be worth repeating."

Pan suspected that he must have been dealing with nightmares and she knew it had to be tied to why he had to take all those pills. "We'll just see. In the meantime, you're right, I have an early start. 'Till next time and please make sure Grandma calls him—it'll give me peace of mind and I'll love you forever."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Auden said amused.

"Goodnight," Pan said.

"Goodnight."

It took Pan a moment to realize how odd it was that Grandma was at Auden's house voluntarily. Did they even know each other? Better yet, where was Grandma sleeping? What was happening? She couldn't for the life of her figure that out. She supposed that she'd found them washing the dishes together so they knew each other existed, but that was for such a short amount of time and she was sure that Grandma must have dragged him in to help her against his will. She shook her head slowly as she tried to understand.

The important part was that Grandma was safe and Dad would stop calling her. She'd been terrible with keeping in contact with Auden for days. She'd tell herself that she was going to reply back and then never actually get to it. Things weren't like they were before. She didn't get the same tension or giddiness at the sight of his text or the idea that he was still thinking about her. After it became established that they were merely friends, she found herself less interested in what he was doing from day to day. He worked 9-5 and then went home. How exciting could his texts be?

Besides, she'd been having a crazy few days with Bra having been dragged to bars and clubs all over town. Pan simply wasn't cut out for that lifestyle, but she had to admit that it had been fun hanging out with Bra like that and getting to know her again. They'd been the perfect couple, and everyone had seemed jealous of them or had simply joined in with their good vibes. She'd made a few new friends too—other lesbians who were probably way too left field for her taste, but they had been nice and fun to be around. Pan didn't quite think she was ready for a threesome or a foursome for that matter.

Bra was currently plastered and wouldn't be waking until tomorrow. Courtesy of her Saiyan blood, she would _not_ be waking with a hangover and thus never suffer any consequences of overconsumption. Pan clicked off her phone and rejoined her under the covers. As odd as it had been being in Malachi's house, now she was getting used to it. She could feel a little closer to him which eased the pain of his loss somewhat. Every once in a while, she could picture him in places. If he could see her now, what would he think?

She'd only been sleeping lightly before though it had been peaceful, playing with Bra's silky strands of hair, running her hands through—something that Bra said she loved. She'd lost track of time doing this and had finally been interrupted with her phone. Now comfortable again on her side of the bed, tiredness set in and she fell asleep instantly.

Upon waking the next day, she found Bra all over her again. Her breasts were apparently Bra's pillow as her head was placed there and her legs entangled with hers. That's why she was so warm and cozy. Slowly, she detangled herself.

"Oommm…Pan, don't go right now," Bra said sleepily.

"I have to," Pan said as she paused. "Work, remember?"

"Forget about work," she said trying to nestle closer to her.

"I can't."

"I don't want you to work anymore. I hate wasting hours of the day waiting for you to come back."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Pan said as she continued in her endeavor though she could feel Bra pulling her back.

"Absence makes the heart grow cold and depressed."

Pan had to put in a little force to push away from her, but eventually she released herself from Bra's enticing grasp. "Well, you might be right about that."

"I know I am." Bra stretched out a little more on the bed and peered up at her with eyes that possessed quite a bit more clarity than Pan was expecting at the moment.

"Hm?" Pan asked. It was as if Bra was trying to tell her something just by looking.

"I love you, Pan."

Bra had told her this several times already, but each time, her heart would skip a beat. "Even in the morning?" she joked.

Bra giggled, smiling a bit more. "More so."

Pan bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Love you too."

Pan had brought over a number of her clothes to put in the closet alongside Bra's. It had gotten to a point that it felt almost painful to spend a night apart from her. On the flipside, she hardly spent much time at her own place which she was still paying rent for. There was a small part of her that was hesitant. Everything still felt so new. This had all started so unexpectantly and she wasn't sure if this would last even if Bra seemed genuine. She was different, but Pan knew from experience that people could only change so much. Pan had known her for a very long time. She knew that Bra had a penchant for loving people for a little while and leaving them abruptly without a care in the world. She'd even done it to Malachi once upon a time and he'd been severely hurt emotionally—he may not have ever truly recovered. She didn't want to go through that as well. That sort of pain was extraordinarily traumatic and despite how different Bra happened to be now, Pan wasn't sure if she understood that.

She'd spent night after night with Bra and Pan wasn't sure she ever wanted to return to her lonesome bed. Pan quickly got herself ready. After checking the time, she realized that she had made good time. Bra had gone back to sleep as was her habit. She wasn't really functional until the afternoons anyway and she hated breakfast with a passion. Pan, on the other hand, needed food on a constant basis. She still hadn't gotten up the nerves to cook in Malachi's kitchen so as she'd been doing for a while now, she sat down in a nearby restaurant to have her quality large breakfast.

She felt a little guilty about ignoring Auden's messages. At the time, it hadn't felt like such a huge deal, but in hindsight she knew that wasn't true. They'd been communicating with each other regularly and he'd made it clear that he enjoyed that. He'd sounded so different last night. Had she actually pissed him off? She couldn't stand to have anyone feel that way about her even if it was unintentional. Usually she would text him, but this time, as she waited for her food, she decided it was important enough to actually call. She couldn't remember if he'd be at work by now or still getting ready.

"Yes?" he answered after the second ring.

He'd never answered his phone like that before and she was completely caught off guard. "Is this Auden?"

"This is him," he said with a chuckle, clearly amused.

Pan paused for a moment longer and then responded. "Is everything alright with you?"

"I'm fine, Pan."

"I didn't mean to blow you off like that. I really was busy, but I promise I'll make it up to you—

"Pan, it's alright. Sometimes people grow apart. I enjoyed the time we spent together. I'm not really all that upset with you. You just caught me at a bad time last night."

It almost sounded as if they were breaking up, but were they ever truly together? "About that—did you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly."

She wondered if he would have done so if she hadn't blown him off for so long. "What are you doing right now?"

"Well, I was about to enjoy this far too decadent breakfast before I was interrupted."

"Oh, you're ordering out too."

"No, I just happen to personally know a five-star chef."

"Wait, you wouldn't be talking about Grandma, would you?"

"Who else?" he replied as if it was obvious.

The idea that he was sharing breakfast with Grandma at his place was jarring. It _still_ didn't make sense and she was beginning to think she was missing something fundamental.

"Pan? You still there? Let's talk later. I don't have a lot of free time at the moment."

"Oh, right. Sorry for interrupting."

"We don't usually call each other though—you must have had something urgent to talk about."

"No, it was nothing like that. I'll just call you later then."

They hung up soon after, but it left her with far more questions than answers. She cut into her pancakes, but before she could place the food into her mouth a crazy thought stilled her hands. What if Auden _liked_ Grandma? The fact that she was actually at his place for this long was so ludicrous that her mind hadn't even begun to acknowledge the implications. She hadn't even been able to stay at his place for more than a few hours before his nerves got the better of him. What in the world could be happening now? None of it was adding up. The more she thought of it, the more disgusted she became. She once again started on her food.

Was Grandma forcing herself onto him? She couldn't imagine it being the other way around. Did they both mutually…? It was disturbing on multiple levels. She couldn't imagine Grandma with anyone other than Grandpa and she definitely wasn't into dating. Did she even know what dating was? But more than that, Auden could not have spent more than a few moments with her at her parents' place and he'd been roped into doing the dishes. How could it go from that to her spending now over a couple days at his place? Even more insidious was the thought that Auden had dumped her for her own Grandma. As patient as she was with him, suddenly he's taken interest in someone entirely different and Grandma was not known for her patience—she was loud and obnoxious at the best of times. Auden couldn't possibly get along with such a personality or even remotely be attracted to it.

A more rational side of her noted that they were around the same age. They both experienced parenthood. Come to think of it, they liked keeping things nauseatingly clean—Pan had certainly noticed how orderly Auden liked to keep things. Grandma could only dream of keeping the house in that condition—she often became fussy when people didn't put things back and she was forever cleaning some part of the house. They both liked cooking—Auden probably couldn't hold a candle to Grandma but as a single parent, it's likely that he made food on a daily basis. Before she could think of any other similarities, she took a long swig from her tall cup of cranberry juice.

They were incompatible. End of story. It was ridiculous to be even entertaining the idea that nothing was wrong with this picture. Hadn't Grandma gotten into a fight with Dad and that's why she had taken off in the first place? That's what her Dad had implied. Clearly Auden had felt sorry for her and was forced to let her stay when she refused to go back home. What if Auden was suffering right now in silence? Maybe that's why he'd been so upset when she called. She could imagine Grandma taking advantage of Auden with her demanding nature. How could she have been so blind? She needed to do something quickly. Who knew how much of Grandma he could withstand? He'd be going to work today as usual, so she had some time to go and rectify the situation. She'd try to leave a little early today and then make a beeline to Auden's place. She simply couldn't let this continue!

If only she'd kept in contact with him. Maybe he'd feel comfortable enough to divulge about what was really bothering him. Guilt began to settle in as she quickly finished off her breakfast. What if Auden had actually wanted to be more than just friends with her, but he'd been too shy to say it because she was being too needy or pushy? Had she been misreading the signs again? Honestly, she couldn't be sure. The only way she'd have clarity would be rehashing the same conversation she'd already had with him. Each of those times had been on the phone. It might be better to see him in person. She was better at reading people when she could see their expressions. Though Auden was difficult to read on the best of days, she still had to try or else be plagued with these concerning questions.

All of this was likely just a misunderstanding that she wasn't fully aware of yet. Grandma was just mad, and all she had to do was talk it out with Dad and everything would go back to normal—at least normal for that part of her life. Since Malachi's passing, nothing felt "normal" anymore and each day was a struggle convincing herself each day that she should keep pushing forward with life rather than giving up altogether. Bra had made it somewhat easier. It was hard not to cling desperately onto her affection. Pan was sure that Bra was doing the same.

She was already missing Bra's presence. Working with animals had been something she enjoyed doing and gave up a good portion of her day to do so, but these days, the world was gray. Apparently, only Bra could bring color back to it. Having a nice, filling breakfast was also helpful emotionally. She'd made the mistake of missing out on it and she'd barely made it through the day finding it increasingly difficult to stop herself from curling up into a ball in a dark corner.

With a sigh, she paid her bill and drove off to another long day of pet care.

* * *

Lunch break couldn't come soon enough. She had two simultaneous emergency operations to deal with right before that and it set her break back an hour. While it wasn't anything that was out of the norm, it had certainly set the tone for the day. Her personal life was put to the backburner as she placed her full concentration on work. Then it all came tumbling back as she finally had some free time. She hadn't bothered bringing something from home, so she'd have to decide which food place to order from. An idea came to her as she strolled out of the front entrance of the clinic. What if she could join Auden for lunch like they'd done before? She looked at her watch and realized that he would likely be on his way to that now. Or maybe he was late as well, one could never tell. They'd often coordinate these things beforehand. He didn't like deviating from his set schedule either, so it was risky calling him for something spur of the moment. She did it anyway.

"Hello?" he asked after the fifth ring. She must have caught him at a bad time.

"Hey," she said with a smile in her voice. "I was just wondering if you wanted to do lunch together."

"It's been a while since we've done that, huh?" he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah—

"Unfortunately, I've already lunch."

"Wait, you went earlier today? Must not have been a busy day for you."

"I'm not at work. I had a couple of appointments scheduled today. I'm on my way to the last one at the moment."

"Oh…Well, maybe tomorrow?"

"Hm, probably not. Maybe some time in the future though."

"You know, Auden, it almost seems like you're actively trying to avoid me."

"It's just not a good time. With present company, it might be a bit awkward," he finally admitted.

"You mean with Grandma? I know her better than you and we've had lunch together plenty of times. Is she with you right now?"

"No—

"Alright, then this is the perfect time to ask—has she been harassing you? I know she can be a bit much and I don't want you to feel like you have to do everything she says, okay?"

"It's not like that," he said with some confusion, "If you want to talk to her, she's at my place. I think. Well, she could have gotten bored and decided to attempt walking somewhere—but she's fine. Also, I'm fine. I hope that answers your concerns."

"I'm being serious here," Pan continued. "I know it's not in your nature to bother or upset people and I know how she can be sometimes. If you need me to take her off your hands, just let me know. I completely understand."

"Pan, I'm not sure what you're getting at. I think you might be under the wrong impression. It's not like this is some kind of hostage situation."

"But…I _know_ you don't like having strangers at your place."

"Usually," he said with a sigh.

"So that's why I'm worried."

"There's nothing to be worried about. I promise you. This has to be the third time you've called asking if I'm alright. I'm wonderful. Everything is perfect. No one is coercing me to do anything."

"Perfect?" Pan asked hearing the word leap out at her. "I guess I just don't understand."

She was waiting for him to explain further as he paused before responding.

"How would you like it if I began to agonize over every single relationship you had in your life and demand details over the phone?"

"Auden—it's different and you know it."

"Oh? Is it because you're less susceptible to being hurt in a relationship?"

Pan sighed exasperatedly at this. Now suddenly he was deciding to be less than forthcoming about things.

"Are you going to answer that question or just keep breathing into my ear?"

"You know the answer."

"Though I hate bringing up old news, let's not pretend that you didn't break down in tears over me clarifying what I thought was obvious about our relationship. You wanted more from me than what I was willing to give. We were on two different pages. And yet, I haven't felt the need to hassle you about how you're spending your time or with who."

Even bringing up that embarrassing episode was making her tear up a little in shame. She'd been so stupid and allowed her emotions to take over. It was so naïve! Admittedly, it didn't make her quite the authority on relationships that she sometimes saw herself as. "That wasn't my best moment."

"I'm still sorry about that. I only bring it up to let you know that despite that, I would respect any decision you make in your life. I know you're very capable of making good decisions without having someone analyzing them to death. I was hoping you could afford me that same respect."

"Alright," she said after a moment. "I hear you loud and clear. You want me to butt out of your business. I just want to let you know that I'm always here for you. You can tell me anything and I won't judge."

"I know. I haven't forgotten that."

"Well, then, I guess we'll just have to catch up later."

"I'm sure we will at some point."

It was extremely vague, but that was all she could get him to commit to. They were still friends at the very least. It was odd though. Being just friends with him without the possibility of taking things further somehow made her interest lessen. If she was being honest with herself, that was the entire reason why she'd even gone down that road with him in the first place. She had been lonely and desperate. She wondered if she would have given him the time of day had that not been the case.

Her phone started vibrating again. She picked it up quickly when she saw it was Bra. "Hey, girl."

"So? Are you free for lunch now?"

"You caught me at the perfect time."

"Then get over here already! We'll go to that bar down the street."

"You know I can't drink on the job."

"I would never _dream_ of having you do that—you know the bar sells more than just alcohol right? I love their wings. I've been craving that since this morning, but I was too lazy to leave the house."

"I'll come rescue you then."

They hung up soon after with something to look forward to. She hadn't even decided on what place to go, but Bra was always decisive when it came to what to eat. Must be nice always craving something specific each day. Pan's palate wasn't quite so convenient or forthcoming. She couldn't think of anything she hated eating.

It didn't take long for her to join up with Bra and eventually arrive at the beforementioned bar. By the time they'd gotten there, Pan was hungry enough to want to order the entire menu. If it weren't for the time constraints, she might have ended up doing it. Pan ordered three orders of the dozen chicken wings. On first bite, she was absolutely in heaven. This was perfect. Why hadn't she heard of this place before?

"See?" Bra said observing her on the other side of the table, "The best wings."

Bra also had a pint of draft beer as well that she was currently "sipping" from or more like chugging. Pan had to suffice with a glass of Root Beer.

"You always know where to go."

"Well, that's the benefit of going to every single eatery in existence in this city."

"You should be a food critic. Make a blog or something about West City."

"Oh, please. Tons of people already do it and I wouldn't have the patience."

"But coming from you, someone who's already somewhat famous, it might be different."

"Hmm," Bra said thoughtfully, "I guess."

Pan continued her steady consumption of the first plate of wings basking in the tender and juicy meat slathered in a flavorful barbeque sauce. She could tell the wings were grilled rather than baked or deep fried. It took her a moment to notice a subtle shift in mood from Bra. Pan was ever weary about Bra's generally good mood as of late. There was still a lot of pain under the surface and she was likely distracting herself from wallowing in it. Anytime she wanted to talk, Pan always made time for her. Usually, it would happen in the dead of night after all was quiet and she was left to her own thoughts. Pan wondered how Bra had fared on her own that morning. Had it been excruciating? Had she been too flippant about needing to go to work despite Bra all but begging her to stay?

Bra had finished her beer and was looking across the room at the other patrons having quiet conversations amongst themselves. She'd barely tasted her food. It was obvious that something was weighing on her mind. Pan waited patiently for her to finally speak on it. After halfway finishing the second order of chicken wings, Bra broke the silence.

"Hey, so what are you doing after work?"

"Coming back to check on you. I kind of unofficially live there at this point, right?"

"Pretty much. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any plans. What do you think about going back home—well, back to _my_ home…"

"With Machi and Jr.?" Pan asked instinctively sensing where this was going.

"Yeah. Back to my children. I've been putting off dealing with them, but now I really miss them, and I know I'm being a terrible parent right now."

"I think you did the right thing distancing yourself like you did. You were in no condition to take care of them and you probably would have done a lot more harm than good if you'd forced things. I mean, not a lot of people have the luxury of taking a vacation from their kids, but you do, and I think that was for the best."

"You can't really think that. You don't have to sugarcoat everything with me. I'm not _that_ fragile. At least…not right now."

"I'm being one hundred percent honest with you, Bra. I think you did right."

"And do you think it's a good idea to go back now?"

"Only you can know that. I think you're doing a lot better than before. You're more like yourself."

"That's the problem though. I don't want to be like myself. I want to be better than that. Myself really wouldn't have time messing around with kids, but I know I can't just avoid them."

"I think you're different now, but the only way we can figure out how much so, is by actually seeing how you do with the kids."

"Yeah, I thought that too. That's why I have to do this. I want you to be with me."

"Of course. It's a bit spur of the moment though. Have you let anyone know that you're coming?"

Bra shook her head no sheepishly.

"Bra!"

"I know! I just keep losing my nerves whenever I pick up the phone to call."

"I'm sure they'll understand. They're waiting for you I'm sure."

"I know that too, but I still feel really guilty. I just run away and then on some day that's convenient, I just declare that I'm ready to pick up my responsibilities again like everything's okay."

"I have a feeling that you're punishing yourself more than anyone else. Your parents are the least judgmental people I've ever met. They'll accept you—and it's not like they ever denounced you in the first place."

Bra sighed at this.

"How about this? _I'll_ call them and let them know that you want to come home."

"No, I'll do it. It's the least I can do. I just have to build up the nerves."

Pan looked at her for a moment and saw that she was determined. "Alright then," she said returning to her food. "I'll leave it to you."

From her peripherals she could already see a smile returning to her face and that set her at ease. After a moment, Bra too began on her food again. It was probably getting cold anyway. Bra cleaned off her plate well before Pan and the waiter took her dishware away. Then without any provocation, she climbed out of her seat and plopped down next to her.

"You should have ordered more if you wanted more," Pan declared, sliding her plate away from her and scooting over a little.

Bra giggled. "That's not why I sat here."

Pan looked at her questioningly. Bra advanced on her and Pan quickly understood what she wanted to do. Pan's lips, still sticky from the barbeque were being cleaned off by Bra. She was so surprised, that she scarcely knew how to react.

"Ummm, it tastes better on chicken though," Bra said playfully as she paused.

Since she was being so irresistible at the moment and so very close, for a brief moment, Pan forgot about her food and decided to sate her other appetite which she hadn't paid much attention to that day until now. Pan engaged her a bit more forcefully this time much to Bra's delight as she was able to let out a laugh when Pan pulled her closer and soon they were simply making out in the booth. Bra was so close now that she was able to place her leg over Pan's. Bra pulled back a little so that she could breathe, but then she was reinvigorated again. They continued like this for some time exploring each other's lips and mouth—cleaning off all the food debris eventually. Pan hadn't even noticed when her food was taken away and she was only mildly annoyed by the time she actually looked.

Pan pulled back for the last time. "I gotta' go."

"You always gotta' go. Why do you have to keep working? I'll take care of you." Bra had leaned in on the last sentence and spoke quietly into her ear. Her chin rested on her shoulder and Pan wrapped an arm gently around her.

"Sorry," Pan said after a while equally as quietly.

Pan didn't think she'd ever be comfortable letting someone else take care of her and even now, she still had a few reservations about their relationship.

"Hmph," Bra said lightly with a hint of despondency.

Pan moved a little to let Bra know that she was being serious and finally they both proceeded to climbing out the booth. It took Pan a moment to notice how quiet the room had become and that various lusty eyes were turning away to pretend to be focusing on other things. They were drawing far too much attention. Almost at the snap of a finger, the air became filled with quiet conversation. Bra had a bold smile on her face and the guy who had briefly been their waiter was confident enough to wink and grin at them. Pan gave him a quick wave though her face was turning red with embarrassment. Of course, Bra was always the instigator of PDA and Pan almost always followed along. She was glad to be out of the now tense atmosphere.

"You love embarrassing me in public," Pan said as they walked the short distance to her car.

"Oh, shut-up, like you don't secretly love the attention."

"I don't!"

"Um-hm, sure."

Pan couldn't convince her otherwise and, truthfully, it wasn't really a hill she was willing to die on. Besides, there might be a grain of truth hidden in there. Bra almost always brought out sides to her that she would much rather keep subdued. Pan had grown up in a very conservative family and manners had been drilled into her on a daily basis. It had long since infused with her own personality. It was nice sometimes to step outside that façade. For a brief moment, it felt freeing.

Lunch had ended too soon, and she was diving headlong back into work. The rest of the day went smoother than the first, but this was mainly because of the good mood she was in since making out with Bra. She had several difficult patients that day and she had to deal with a few annoyingly negligent owners. And yet, by the end of the day, a smile could still easily appear on her face. The real hard part of the day would be taking Bra back home. Before that—because she was sure Bra was dreading the moment she came home to take her—she wanted to check on Auden.

She'd called Auden a few times that day already and he'd been closemouthed about whatever was happening with him. Being the good friend she was, she couldn't just let that slide. She would pay him a visit in person—and it would be a surprise visit. Generally, she didn't like surprising people like that, but this felt like a dire situation and she wanted to set everything straight as soon as possible. The thought of Auden unnecessarily suffering because of her own grandmother was almost too much to bear. They were both nice people, but Grandma had a penchant for doing whatever she pleased, and Auden was extremely nonconfrontational. It was a recipe for disaster. Anyone could deduce what was happening.

It was a bit of drive to get to Auden's place. He was practically on the other side of town and close to his workplace. She parked quickly as her anticipation grew. After climbing up a flight of stairs, she was soon standing in front of his door. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to knock. Right before her knuckles hit the door, she stopped herself. What if the door was already unlocked? That would indicate immediately if something was wrong. She discretely turned the metal knob and heard a tiny clink—it was locked.

"Fine," she said under her breath and finally knocked.

She waited a little expecting Auden. When the door creaked open a little, she was presented with Grandma instead.

"Pan?" her grandma said opening the door a little wider. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Pan said with surprise. "You're answering his door now?"

"Well, he's not here, honey. He's a little late, in fact, but you know how those doctor's appointments go—they always keep you waiting. Since you're here, why don't you come in?"

"Sure, but I won't be staying long. I just wanted to check up on things."

Grandma laughed at this as she turned. "How nice of you. I'd be concerned too if I were in your shoes. That man takes a million and one pills and he's always here alone—a recipe for disaster if you ask me. Although, I think he's managed quite well."

"Level with me, Grandma," Pan said closing the door behind her, "What's the real reason you're here? Is it something between you and Dad?"

"Oh, give it a rest, child. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I'm fine and I can protect myself if need be."

"That didn't remotely answer my question."

"Well, that's my answer, honey," she said wearily as she sat down on the nearby couch.

The place was still immaculate, and nothing was out of place, but something was different. There was a bit more color perhaps. His living room which they were occupying right now, looked less like a museum and more like a place someone might use. Was there a new lamp in here that hadn't been there before?

"Any other burning questions for me?" her grandma asked.

Pan frowned at her. She was doing it too then as if this arrangement was all a big secret. "I just want to make sure you're not taking advantage."

"Is _that_ right," she answered amused. "Do you really think I'd do that? I know your dad is very concerned about my whereabouts, but at this point it's none of his business how I choose to spend my time. Did he send you out again so you can go and report back to him?"

"It's not like that."

"Then how is it like?"

Pan shook her head in irritation. "Listen, I know Auden pretty well. He doesn't just let people stay here. He barely wanted to invite me over and when I was forced to barge in because he was nonresponsive—he had one of those panic attacks—

"I've heard about Auden and his issues from Bulma. You don't have to give me a play by play. Everyone's told me to be careful, that he's delicate, that anything could set him off, but I really haven't seen that since I've been here. And I was completely ready to tread lightly. I think he's improved, and I think I've been able to help him do that."

"Those are some bold claims," Pan said unconsciously folding her arms defensively. "How exactly have you 'helped' him?"

Her grandma wore an amused expression. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a little jealous."

Pan looked at her shocked. "I'm _not_. You don't know him like I do. I'm glad nothing terrible has happened so far, but there's always chance things could go downhill rapidly."

"There's a chance for everybody, isn't there?" her grandma said back quizzically. "All we need is one bad day to have everything unravel. Do you know how many people I have to 'tread lightly' around so I don't hurt their feelings or egos? Yes, your dad is one of those people. And Goku lost his mind a long time ago. He won't even come back to visit me and it's difficult for me to say that he doesn't care, it's just that he hasn't decided to do it. That's insane. And when he turns into that yellow haired delinquent, I don't really know him anymore. Auden is far more sane than that with normal human issues that can be worked on, but more than that, he's willing to admit that he does have issues and actively works on them. What about you, Pan? Are you ever going to ask yourself why you thought it was a good idea to check up on a friend you haven't spoken to in some time? Or are you just going to tell yourself that you're doing this to 'help' someone?"

"Grandma…I had no idea you felt that way…" Pan found herself at a loss of words. In fact, it was a lot to take in all at once. "I'm sorry."

"Honey, you have nothing to be sorry about."

"No," Pan began slowly. "If I'm being honest with myself, I came here because I thought it was crazy that you weren't at home anymore. You're always there and I couldn't imagine it being any different. I thought something was going on. I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around the fact that Auden would be fine with you being here. I still don't really know why that's the case, but from all the evidence I've gathered, that's just how it is."

"I don't know, Pan, maybe something is going on, maybe it's not. I'm comfortable here for the time being. I don't know when I'm coming back home. I don't know if I want to."

"Can I ask you why?" Pan asked suddenly shy. She knew she might be asking a question that was too personal.

"I told you. I feel more comfortable here."

Pan looked at her, opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She wasn't sure how to structure her next question.

"You want to know more, right?" Grandma said with a knowing look.

"Are you guys…" Pan could hardly get the question out. "…dating?"

Grandma looked at her with creased eyebrows. "You kids—always trying to put a label on things. I don't think I'd call it that, but I guess… 'technically'."

"But he's nothing like Grandpa," Pan blurted out, "And he's ace, he has a normal job, he's super into technology—

"I noticed," Grandma said with a laugh. "They're not the worst traits I've ever heard."

Grandma seemed to be fine with those things she'd listed. What exactly did that mean? Pan didn't think it was her place to grill her on what exactly about Auden she liked or how this somehow made staying here more 'comfortable', but that didn't mean that she didn't desperately want to know. Perhaps seeing them interact together would have answered those questions, but she didn't have time to wait for Auden's arrival considering her plans with Bra.

"Alright, Grandma, I have to go. I'm a little late to something."

"Alright, then, honey. Don't be a stranger."

"Oh, I won't. I have to keep an eye out on you kids."

Grandma laughed at this genuinely entertained by the notion. She left soon after. Pan hadn't told anyone what she and Bra had been doing for the past few days. It would have been a little embarrassing and perhaps she was the pot calling the kettle black. Viewing it in that light, Auden might have been embarrassed as well or just didn't have a convenient label to put on the situation and _that's_ why they weren't exactly being forthcoming with information. If her conversation with her grandmother was any indication, it was just complicated. Pan supposed she could say the same about herself. It was too soon to define things. All of this could just be some sort of coping mechanism with Malachi's loss. Their relationship was definitely helping with the pain of loss that was always just under the surface. At any time, those emotions could boil over and she could just be crying at the most random times. She could simply have the wrong thoughts or see the wrong things. Pan had successfully kept her emotions in check for the most part, but it was an uphill battle. She wondered if taking Bra back to the Briefs household would trigger anything.

Bra was solemn as she climbed into the car. She hadn't taken anything with her, so it didn't quite feel like she was moving from one place to the other.

"Did you let them know?" Pan asked.

"Yes," she said simply as she stared out the car window.

"I bet they were really excited."

"They were. I told them not to do anything drastic. They can get carried away sometimes."

"So I've heard. They'd have some huge homecoming party for you all planned out in a few seconds."

"Yeah," Bra said with a grin. "Overkill. I'm sure Bunny couldn't help but make something a little special."

"I'm sure Machi and Jr. can't wait to see you again."

"Yeah…if they even remember me," she said quietly.

"You can always make new memories."

"That's true."

Pan left it at that waiting for Bra to say something more. When she was quiet, Pan deduced that she probably wasn't in a talkative mood. She could feel an anxious energy coming from her as she tapped her feet at irregular intervals or tapped her fingers on the armrest. It was completely understandable. Even if she really wanted to go back home, it still made sense. She just didn't know what to expect and as far as Pan knew, she wasn't the most attentive mother. She'd told her before in what feels like a lifetime ago even before she'd met Malachi that she'd make a horrible mother and that she'd never consider having kids unless she knew she had someone she could throw all the responsibilities on. That person had been Malachi and he was no longer here to shoulder the responsibility. What was more depressing was that, by all accounts, he'd been quite enthusiastic about the prospects.

But this was all just temporary, right? Soon all would be right in the world once the planet was located. Then this could all just be a distant memory. They'd give Malachi a piece of their minds for not taking better care of himself. Bra would stop being so reckless and Pan could go back to secretly pining over him—well, perhaps she couldn't do that last part since she'd stupidly admitted to it. Everything had been so in the moment, and it was difficult to do things according to what might happen in the future.

Even if he came back though, it wouldn't be easy. He couldn't do the same thing he'd been doing. The whole world knew he was dead. Unless they were willing to make another wish in which everyone forgot about that, he would have to be someone else. Malachi had a secret addiction to prescription pain relievers and sedatives. They would have to actually deal with that or be doomed to repeat the same incident. It could be that other conditions led to him seeking other forms of 'help' because he felt desperate enough, but this was all just speculation. Another concern she'd had recently, though she'd never voice it was that they didn't actually know what he would look like upon return. They really only had one childhood image of him before he'd been adopted by Quint and it was a low quality picture in a black and white local newspaper mentioning that he'd won a talent show—he looked vastly different there, completely different. It became clear in Pan's mind that his appearance must have been altered significantly since that time. Quint would certainly be the type to do such a thing—after all, he groomed Malachi from his mangy beginnings into a star that no one would ever associate with poverty and abandonment. Though Malachi might have hinted at that, he wasn't exactly candid about the extent. They'd fallen for the Malachi with the fair skin, deep dark eyes, and pin-straight hair. What if when he was revived, he turned out to be something other than expected? How did regeneration even work? Were you restored to the last known previous version of yourself or was it based on one's DNA rather than appearance?

There were simply too many question marks around Malachi and she and Bra had long since come up with a list of questions they'd ask him to put an end to all the mystery. After all, if they were successful in bringing him back, wouldn't he be in their debt and more willing to answer questions? At the very least, they hoped he'd be grateful. But there was always a chance that he wouldn't be. There was always a chance that he truly was suicidal and bringing him back would be a nuisance and waste of time.

No, she had to believe everything would be alright with just a single wish. A long-lasting happiness would ensue. She had to believe that or else struggling through each grim and dreary day would become impossible. Her thoughts paused as she felt her tear ducts beginning to fill. Now was not the time. As she usually did, she thrust her despairing thoughts aside and focused on the here and now.

Pan had no idea where to park the car as usual, but luckily Bra had been there to direct her to the garage closest to the main house. The residence seemed like a small city. There was no way they used every square inch of the place. She remembered as a child when she used to visit more often that Bra would claim that they hired maids every so often to clean out the unused areas and that lawn care people came on a regular basis.

A few minutes later, they were at the front door and Bra had a key. She didn't even hesitate to use it as Pan thought she would. They simply strolled through the luxurious foyer tastefully decorated in blue and white as she remembered and moved to where they heard voices in the family room nearby on their left. An arched entryway led them into quite an expansive room with very comfortable sofas and couches with a ridiculously large flat screen currently turned off, centered on the back wall.

It was late in the evening now and they all seemed to be there. Pan noted the grandparents, Trunks and his now wife Terri, Bulma, and even Vegeta who was not hiding out in a corner as he usually did. Then again, it had been a while since Pan had talked to him properly. The Son and Brief family lived such separate lives that it was difficult to keep up with what they were doing and how they were. Pan and Bra received an almost simultaneous greeting from them as soon as they walked in as if it had been some kind of surprise party. Pan immediately noticed that Jensen was missing as well as Machi and Jr. Bra had a very good-looking family and soon she was getting hugged by everyone. Bra went to the grandparents first probably as a courtesy and Bulma approached her at this time with a very welcoming smile on her face. Her mother only wished to exude this much friendliness. Pan recalled times as a child that it had been easier to tell Bulma things and then have Bulma explain things to her mother.

"I'm glad you're here," Bulma said when she was within earshot. She gave her a quick hug. "I know you had a huge part in her deciding to come back."

"Oh, no," Pan said not wanting to steal Bra's shine, "This was her decision."

"Say what you will," she said with a grin, "But I know Bra—making big decisions like these isn't really her style."

Pan noticed Bra move from the grandparents to Vegeta who openly embraced her, an act that caught her off guard. He wasn't quite as aloof as she remembered, and she wondered how far that went. Could she theoretically approach Vegeta and get a hug too? Maybe it wasn't the best time to push her luck. The one he gave Bra seemed to last for some time—he was saying something to her. Pan's hearing picked up on his low, rumbling voice: "I've missed you," Vegeta said in a tone that Pan registered as very sincere. "Yeah, I know," Bra said in equally quiet tones. This conversation seeming too intimate, she turned her attention back to Bulma and now Trunks and Terri who had approached. Pan congratulated them on their marriage. They're wedding must have been a quiet affair which was strange. Pan couldn't believe that Bulma wouldn't have gone all out. She'd have to ask about that later. Terri was practically sparkling. The bright lights overhead enhanced her red hair's natural sheen and she wore a short kimono dress that revealed shapely legs. Wasn't she a prolific author as well? She was beautiful and brilliant. Small wonder why Trunks would be attracted to such a person.

"Alright, everyone, dinner is about to be served!" Bunny announced as she walked towards the kitchen. Clearly, she'd been waiting on something to finish up or she just decided to keep everyone waiting until now.

Pan could already smell where the food was coming from. She could never tell who cooked better, her grandmother or Bra's grandmother. At the moment, it was Bunny, considering the feast she was going to be putting out on the dining table. There were four Saiyans to contend with—it would have been pretty difficult to gauge just how much they could put down.

A decent sized dining room table seated them all comfortably. Pan sat next to Bra and then beside her Bulma. On the other side was Vegeta, Dr. Brief, Bunny, Trunks and Terri. Bunny was already busy setting the food out and Pan was presented with an astonishing spread of food. She couldn't imagine eating so well, so late. Now that it was in front of her, though, she wasn't really complaining. She'd pictured things going a bit differently, but she supposed this was fine as well.

Pan noted that the atmosphere was a bit subdued and it seemed as if they were all holding their breaths for something. People made their plates at their leisure. There was no formal order to anything. And though she was used to seeing at least Vegeta and Trunks easily demolishing plates, for some reason, they were being far more conscientious. Well, perhaps, it made more sense for Trunks as he generally displayed restraint on special occasions. Seeing this, she decided to do the same—not that she was in the habit of stuffing her face silly, but when no one was looking…

It was a very civilized table—her grandma would hardly believe her if she told her. She'd always gotten the impression from her own mom that the Briefs weren't exactly known for their manners and on many occasions, Pan had seen evidence of that.

"So, Dad, I heard you were working for Tien," Bra said breaking the quietness of the meal.

"I'm working _with_ Tien—not for," he clarified. Pan could hear Bulma snorting at this beside her.

"Right," Bra said teasingly. It was likely only Bra could get away with that tone without things quickly turning sour. "So how has _that_ been?"

His food was forgotten for a while as he genuinely gave her question some thought. "It's been enlightening. His training style is far different from mine—there's more emphasis on technique rather than the brutality. It's more humane and allows people who otherwise would have been intimidated to learn something worthwhile."

"You mean beating the shit out of people _isn't_ the best way to train?" Trunks said with humor so subtle that Pan wasn't entirely sure it was there. Terri shoved him in the ribs.

"Well, you could handle it more than most, couldn't you? Besides, I was far more restrained with you than my father ever was with me," Vegeta said looking squarely at Trunks who eventually looked away.

Pan could only imagine what Vegeta meant by that. She had no inkling of what Saiyan culture was like back on their planet or if there were any added layers when it came to royalty, but the way Vegeta was described as being back then, it was likely far more harsh than what was healthy. It would have been an interesting conversation to have with Vegeta—to learn something about her heritage, but she never knew him well enough for that and it never seemed like the right time. Especially not now.

"Tien has his own staff who keeps the dojo running, but he's the only trainer there," Vegeta continued. "It's apparently difficult to find decently knowledgeable martial artists in that area. I don't exactly have any official ranks, but he knows me."

"Maybe I might go check it out," Pan said before she could stop herself. It's not like she needed more training…but being trained by Vegeta seemed like a gold standard. She'd missed out on her grandfather and her father couldn't be bothered anymore.

"You'd fit in—you should drag Bra along as well."

Pan found her cheeks becoming a little rosy not expecting his response. She glanced over at Bra who shook her head _and_ rolled her eyes. Yeah, the idea of Bra fighting did seem a bit farfetched.

"So you've gotten so bored that you've stooped down to human standards of fighting," Trunks said. Again, Pan wasn't exactly sure if this was sarcasm or not.

Vegeta observed Trunks silently which was a lot more chilling than just arguing back immediately. "Humans seem capable enough at using ki and there are many established fighting styles among them," he said turning back to Bra, "One would have to be braindead to not see any potential there."

"Somehow, I still feel sorry for those students if they have you as a teacher," Bra said, "But then Tien seems kind of scary too. You wouldn't catch me dead there and no one, not even Pan, can drag me there."

"We'll see about that…" Pan said teasing, though, in reality she had no plans of doing anything on that front. She was not in the habit of dragging friends off to torture sessions.

Bra turned to her brother who had almost finished off his first plate. "And how's CC—have you managed to burn it all to the ground yet?"

"It's in the works," he said casually.

Pan almost choked on the food she was chewing.

"I'm sure after I left, you guys were scrambling to find a decent replacement," Bra said with a grin.

"Replacement?" he said with a good-natured laugh, but he didn't expound on this.

"Is Auden still doing alright?" Pan asked since they were talking about Bra's time at CC.

It took Trunks a moment to register who she was even talking about. "Oh, Bra's boss?" he said after a while. "I haven't heard any bad news. The departments he oversees are probably the most smoothly ran ones in the company—I hardly have to step in for anything, no complaints. I usually just let them run themselves."

"Really, Trunks?" Bulma said speaking up. "No oversight?"

"Of course, not to that extreme," he said back. "But you know what I mean. Past the usual reporting, I'm pretty hands off. Why ruin such a good thing? Whatever he's doing over there—whatever culture they have going seems to create a good working environment. I have so many people wanting to transfer there; there's just no more space for people."

"Even so, it's always good to keep an eye on things."

"Don't worry, I'm not completely out of the loop."

Pan saw Bra looking over at her mother curiously. "Auden's been working there a long time, right Mom?" Bra asked.

Bulma nodded. "He's very loyal and a very good worker. But you have to keep an eye on him. He sees the world a little differently from us."

"What are you going on about?" Trunks said wearily. "I haven't seen any signs to be worried about."

"His worldview, I mean. I've gotten into arguments with him plenty of times about it. He's a socialist. He thinks capitalism as an institution should be completely dismantled and he's always trying to implement those ideals whenever you give him even a little bit of power in the company. I don't have to tell you how _that_ could cut into our bottom line."

Trunks snorted at this. "You even know what socialism means or what version of it he's promoting?"

"I'm being serious. You have to keep an eye on him. We all know that socialism isn't a good thing to identify with," Bulma insisted.

"One man in a huge company who happens to be a socialist should pose no danger to us. I'm sure he knows this. _I_ know it. _You_ don't for some reason. Dismantling an established economic system requires that you convince everyone that they should be on your side, and somehow cut through all the bureaucracy and corruption. He has to operate in a capitalist society just like the rest of us and he definitely doesn't have the power to change that. Unless you think he's planning on starting some sort of uprising—and he definitely doesn't seem like the person to do that."

"You're way too trusting."

Trunks was already partaking in more food and took a moment to respond. "Someone who makes sure those under him are happy and creates a work environment that increases efficiency and builds strong relationships among them and is willing to cut into his own salary to do so, is not someone to worry about. In fact, it might be a good idea to incorporate that model into the rest of the company as much as possible. Bottom line, his ideas are working quite well. I've taken a hands-off approach just to see if that's really the case. He does what he can in the system that's already in place and there's been no evidence of foul play."

"So CC will be some sort of socialist project?" Bulma gawked.

"Let me tell you this—CC was not a pretty place when I first took your position," Trunks began. Pan glanced over at Bulma who looked as if she'd been caught red handed. "There was a culture there that incentivized those who rose above the rest by any means necessary. It was _very_ cutthroat, and it took me years to even begin to change that. It took a lot of meetings, a lot of figuring out how things really ran below the surface, how people _really_ felt about working at the company, and whether any of that was necessary. Amongst all of that was the Research, Development, and Maintenance division that was far less affected by the usual company culture. I figured out why that was the case after speaking with all the managers, supervisors and even the employees who they presided over. Making Auden the director and retiring the old one that used to be there was a no-brainer. I didn't give him a lot of rules to follow, in fact, I cut back on some of them and told him apart from that you can do as you see fit. I've done that with a few divisions now just to see how that would play out. Trust was in short supply and I decided that that was the best way to demonstrate it. Overall, the work environments have improved, but none more than RD&M division. So, Mom, you can say what you will about the labels that people choose to use—I, on the other hand, will look at the data and use what actually works."

Bulma was looking at him thoughtfully now. "I suppose if it's been working, then it does make sense to promote those sorts of ideas. It just makes me uneasy. I know he means well, but he's incredibly naïve. I also trust that you don't come to these decisions lightly. Dad and I ran the company a certain way and you're deciding that that needs to change. Who am I to stand in the way of progress?"

Trunks wore a frown as she was speaking, and it was very reminiscent of Vegeta. Seems they both could don intimidating masks with ease. Though Pan was almost finished with her first plate, she didn't think it was appropriate to grab for more food as they spoke so intently to one another. Was this how dinners were always like with the Briefs? It wasn't quite the relaxed affair that she'd thought initially.

"You _wanted_ the company to be that way?" Trunks said sharply. "Not only were there illegal activities happening within the company, but outside of it too. In far too many instances, people's lives were in danger. I've had employees come to me begging me not to fire certain people due to death threats and extortions. I've had—" He paused as his mouth became hard. "—certain employees end their own lives due to the stress they couldn't contend with at work. I don't know what kind of 'environment' you like to see in the company, but I _can't_ go along with that."

Bulma looked away when he said this. "I wasn't aware of all that happening, but competition is conducive with innovation. The company didn't get to where it is today by coddling people all the time."

"Competition is conducive to making sure that there will always be losers and therefore those who are punished for not making it despite putting forth their best efforts. Life is too short to be promoting that sort of thing in any way."

"Now you sound like Auden," Bulma said with pursed lips.

"If that's the case, then so be it."

"Children," Bunny spoke up brightly, "Let's not talk about boring business things at the table," she finished in a singsong voice. Something told Pan that this tone was actually more sinister than what she suspected because Bulma and Trunks _both_ looked sheepish.

Finally, Pan felt bold enough to place a few more food items on her plate. Vegeta and Bra had already done so more than twice.

"Now, I heard that you and Pan are seeing each other," Bunny said speaking directly to Bra with her usual cheery tones. "What a beautiful development!"

Pan was immediately red-faced, but Bra seemed unfazed as a warm smile came to her face—it wasn't one that Pan saw very often. "Yeah, actually me and Pan are dating and have been for a while now."

Pan looked over at Bra when she placed a hand in hers and squeezed it. Was it really so official that they were now announcing this to the family? When had things become this serious? "Ah, y-yeah. For a while," Pan said caught off guard and not entirely sure what to say in the situation. She didn't want to just abandon her in front of everyone, but what about Malachi? Was that not a huge elephant in the room?

"Well, I'm glad you weren't in that house all by yourself this whole time," Bulma said to Bra.

Everyone else seemed equally unperturbed. She couldn't quite read Vegeta's expression, but she wasn't sensing any animosity. Terri and the grandparents were all smiles and Trunks was busy filling his plate up again as if nothing of concern had even occurred. Other topics were broached as Bulma asked Pan about how she was doing and how work at the clinic was going. Bunny politely asked Terri about any future projects she had in mind and things went along from there. At the very end of dinner, Machi and Jr. were finally brought up as if they'd been dancing around the topic all day.

They'd both been put to bed already—8pm being the latest Bunny allowed them to be up. She talked gleefully about their personalities and what they generally got up to in a normal day. Bra was all ears peppering her grandmother with a million questions. It was a good sign, and everyone knew it. There was a collective, but subtle sigh of relief from all of them. It was only after this exchange that Vegeta excused himself saying that he was tired. He didn't actually look tired. Pan suspected that he was simply retreating from all the socializing. He'd never seemed like someone who thrived in overly sociable settings. If it was true that he was some sort of prince, she wondered if he would have even fared well in such a highly political role.

"Can I go see them," Bra asked Bunny, drawing Pan out of her musings.

"Of course!" Bunny said happily.

Bra had already finished with her current plate and was eager to go upstairs to see the sleeping one and two-year-old. Bunny climbed out of her seat intending to lead the way though Pan suspected it was also to supervise. When Bra followed in suit, Pan began to do the same.

"No, no, it's alright—you don't have to follow. Finish your food," Bra said placing a hand on Pan's shoulder showing rare concern. Perhaps rare wasn't the right word anymore. Lately, Pan noticed that Bra was more observant and outwardly empathetic. Pan wasn't sure if this would a permanent fixture in her personality, but it was nice to see every now and again.

"Okay, then. I'll be down here," Pan replied not wanting to start a fuss.

Honestly, it wasn't a must that she _had_ to see them that night. Pan knew that she'd be seeing them plenty in due time and it was quite likely that she would become instantly attached.

"Think I'll call it a night today," Bulma said after Bunny and Bra left, "It's been a long one."

"Yeah, I heard you've been working day and night on that radar trying to locate New Namek," Pan commented as she watched her push the chair back.

"Well, I'm actually done with that project. After Auden helped me with the program, there really wasn't much else left to do besides wait for the results. I have a few pet projects I've been working on though and I kind of got carried away. If it weren't for the late dinner today, I probably would have continued subsisting off of coffee," she said with a laugh.

"Wow, I had no idea we were that close to getting to the dragon balls," Pan said surprised.

"I haven't exactly been keeping people up to date," she admitted. "But yeah, I'd say a few more months and I think I'll have the coordinates for New Namek."

"All this trouble just because Dende doesn't want to help," Pan said shaking her head.

"Let's just say I've lost a lot of respect for him. But I suppose he's been different ever since those dragon balls were taken away. He blames us for that, you know."

"Maybe he's right to blame us," Pan said thoughtfully.

"He is. That doesn't mean I have to like it. But it's worse when he doesn't even want to admit it out loud. Anyway…" Bulma said climbing to her feet now.

"Oh wait, I wanted to ask you. Have you decided who's traveling to New Namek?"

"Not yet, but I have a very short list of people," she said with a grin.

"You know I love space travel," Pan said hoping she would get the hint.

"I know," she said with a wider grin. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"Alright, sweetie, good night. You can stay here if you like. My home is always open to the Sons."

Pan gave her thanks again before she made her way out of the dining room. Soon after, Dr. Briefs left as well after giving her another warm welcome to the residence and that he'd likely be in his lab if she had any questions. Now all that remained at the table were Trunks and Terri who sat across from her. Terri had long since finished, but Trunks seemed in the same boat as her and he didn't seem the least perturbed.

"It's a lot more peaceful without all the noisy, opinionated people, isn't it?" Trunks said aloud. He'd been looking at Terri who shook her head in embarrassment, but his eyes were soon on Pan as if trying to watch her reaction, pausing in his eating.

"Not the nicest thing to say about your family," Pan pointed out despite knowing that he was aware of that.

They'd known each other better in the past, but they had long since grown apart as he'd become more and more involved with the family business. In the beginning, she hadn't made it easy for him, forever bugging him about going out on another space traveling adventure and constantly showing up at headquarters just embarrass him, being the bratty little girl she was. One time, she'd actually made him angry and not in a friendly, forget-about-it-tomorrow sort of way. She'd egged him on until their little argument exploded into a physical altercation in which Pan had been gleeful about after throwing the first few punches. Then, she couldn't remember ever talking to him in any substantive way after that fateful event. She'd been too scared to contact him and he never attempted to do so. It probably hadn't been intentional—he was just busy. He always seemed to be busy and she didn't want to interject herself into his life again, so she simply left it at that. This was probably the most words he'd said to her in quite some time.

"Most people don't think I'm all that nice," he replied casually as if this was obvious.

Pan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You don't have to pretend anymore—it's just me and your wife here," she said glancing over at Terri who gave her a grateful look.

"After having to get rid of over half the employees at CC including tenured, long-standing ones as well as those in high positions and then having to restructure the entire company because everyone and everything seemed to be several decades behind, people don't like me very much and I'm reminded of that every time I step through the door. There's really no nice way to lay people off in mass or send people into early retirement."

"That sounds really stressful and judging from what your mom said today, she probably wasn't all that happy about that. I remember you differently. As annoying as I could be at times you were probably one of the most patient, nicest people I knew outside of my dad. We used to go on all those fun adventures…"

"It feels like that happened a lifetime ago," Trunks replied. "At the time, it just felt like another day—it's funny how time lapsing can make those things seem rosier than they really were."

"We like to call that nostalgia," Pan said with a chuckle, "I don't know if you've heard of that before."

"Yeah, well, it's not the most accurate way to evaluate a person and it would be equally silly of me to think you're the same person from back then."

"I'm sorry," Pan said, blurting out the phrase. She couldn't stop thinking about the last time they'd spoken at length all those years ago.

He looked at her confused. "About what exactly?"

"About that time we fought."

"We fought a lot of times."

Pan glanced over at Terri who hadn't said much since they started talking, but she was keenly interested in listening and didn't even begin to hide that fact. She had finished eating some time ago and watched curiously. "When you were at work, remember?" she said trying to jog his memory. "I kinda forgot what we were arguing about, but you got _really_ angry—"

"This is perfect. I should really find more convenient excuses to visit," he said cutting across her explanation. He'd already continued partaking in the food on his plate, still taking the time to actually chew rather than just swallowing things down like a vacuum.

"Are you even listening?" Pan said with a frown

"I am. I think I know what you're talking about," he said as if it wasn't a big deal. "I also just want to let everyone here know that I'll be making my way through the rest of the food left on the table—I couldn't possibly let poor Bunny deal with so much leftover."

"Um, who do you think you're talking to? That was _my_ plan from the very beginning," Pan said barely holding back a smile, "So you'll have me to contend with."

"I will not be goaded into some sort of eating competition with you," he said on a more serious note. "I'm not really in the mood for ramming food down my throat—I just want to enjoy everything. There's enough here for both of us."

"Well, to be honest, it's not really all that satisfying cramming things down," she admitted, secretly relieved that she didn't have to do that right now. Her competitive side often said things before her more rational side. "But Grandpa sure loved doing it. And your dad too. It must be a Saiyan thing."

"I wouldn't say it's a 'Saiyan' thing. I've never seen my father actually enjoy eating and it always looked like a very serious affair. Whenever Goku happened to be around, it would turn into a competition, but other than that, it seemed more of a grudging activity he was forced to deal with on a daily basis."

"How can you tell?"

"Oh, subtle and not so subtle tells. He'll skip meals if he's focused on something else and if he doesn't think anyone's watching, he'll take forever trying to clean off one plate. I think it's more that he doesn't like being hungry rather than actually liking to eat."

"So that's why he was able to leave so early after barely finishing a few plates. I thought that was strange."

"He was really trying to be on his best behavior today," Trunks said with a snort, "And I was testing to see how thin I could stretch his patience before it broke."

"I knew it," Terri said interjecting with a frown. "What was even the point?"

Trunks shrugged. "I was just curious. He really hasn't changed all that much, but he surprised me. As you can see, we all managed to get through a pleasant family dinner without any explosions going off."

"This was all supposed to be about Bra's homecoming, you know," Pan reminded Trunks. "That's why we were _all_ on our best behavior today."

Trunks finished chewing what was in his mouth before he responded. He already looked annoyed. "We're always rolling out the red carpet for that girl. The only reason she's even in this situation is because she's been spoiled and coddled to death and she's used to the world revolving around her. And here we are continuing to indulge that. If she wants to take responsibility for her actions, it shouldn't involve some sort of celebration or reward. I was just here for the food."

"Really, Trunks? I didn't think you thought so lowly of your own sister."

"Pointing out her flaws doesn't mean I think 'lowly' of her. No one wants to say it out loud. I've told her that plenty of times before. She knows that she'll always get her way. She knows that she has everyone especially Dad wrapped around her finger, so it really doesn't matter what I say or think."

"I think she's changed," Pan said back.

Trunks didn't even dignify this with a response as he continued on the food clearly enjoying that more than the topic at hand. Pan supposed that there was also the added layer of nostalgia that was probably making everything taste even better. She got the impression that Trunks rarely bothered with visiting. She wondered just how much he disliked his own family and if somewhere along the way it had turned into hate.

"I hadn't been angry at you," Trunks said after a while. Pan looked at him confused. "That fight you were talking about—I wasn't angry at you. I just used that moment as an outlet. I'd been shadowing Mom for some time, learning the intricate details of her position. Even though she tried to paint a rosy picture of the job and everyone wore their forced smiles while she showed me around every square inch of the business, it was so transparent that even someone as inexperienced as me could see that all was not right. I'd studied a wide range of topics in school, one, because business was the driest and most narrowminded subject I'd ever taken, two, because I thought I needed to learn more than just business to actually make a difference, and three because I liked meeting all these interesting people from other majors. I learned about politics, philosophy, mathematics and innumerable sociology topics. Those things brought the world and the society that we lived in into focus. I'd been so sheltered living within the comfortable confines of Mom's wealth, that it was quite a bit to take in all at once. I knew Mom had been serious about me inheriting her prestigious position at CC and by the time it actually came time for me to begin learning her position, I wasn't even sure that I deserved her title over all the other people who had already worked at the company for decades. I saw a side to Mom that I hadn't known was there. The way she saw the world and consequentially, how she ran her company was insane. She had all this power, all this economic power, could set the tone for the world market, had reaches to almost every other city in the world, and pretty much controls policymakers worldwide. Yet she chose to wield that power like a sledgehammer rather than with careful consideration of all the people who would be affected.

"Disgust doesn't even begin to describe how I felt about that even in myself for thinking I could swoop in and save the day and being complicit in the nepotism that allowed me to step over people that may have been far more worthy. And I took all that on you that day. I was hoping you'd just see it as another playful spar but seeing as you're bringing it up again after all these years—I suppose you saw it differently. You never needed to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. We were just at different points in our lives. I thought it was a good thing that you decided to keep your distance. It was probably better that way. I'm sorry for making you feel like you had anything to do with how I reacted."

Pan took a moment to digest everything. "I had no idea all that was happening at the time. And here I was thinking it was because of me being bratty. Never once did I even begin to think it was anything else."

"It's only natural. I wasn't exactly forthcoming."

"Sure, but I guess it was something I needed to work on."

There was another pause in dialogue as Pan and Trunks further indulged their seemingly insatiable appetites. Terri could only look on in silent astonishment. Though Pan was sure Terri must have been used to this sort of thing, she supposed for humans it would always be jarring. Then again, Pan wouldn't be surprised if Trunks would dial down his habits around other humans in order to fit in a little better. She did it herself at her own job. With such a prestigious position and having so many eyes on him, perhaps it was better not to rock the boat.

"For the record so there's no misunderstanding," Trunks began after clearing off another plate. "I only want the best for my sister. Thinking outside of yourself is incredibly difficult to do, but it becomes impossible if you're surrounded by people that enable your worst habits."

"Are you critiquing me?" Pan asked with food on her fork.

"Depends. Are you enabling her?"

It was such a straightforward question that Pan was caught off guard. "I don't…think so."

Trunks looked at her with a grin—the first one she'd seen in a long time. "Then I'm not talking about you," he said in teasing tones.

Pan shook her head at this with a snort. It was likely the most tacit approval she was going to get from Trunks about her and Bra. "It's surprising how well everyone took the fact that me and Bra were seeing each other."

"Yeah, well, I lost a bet because of you."

"What was that?" Pan said in faux offensive tones.

Trunks could barely keep a straight face. "No, it's just more surprising that you think a family comprised of actual aliens and half aliens would be at all thrown off by a relationship between two close friends."

"You have a point," Pan said thoughtfully. "I just…imagine my family would not have been so nonchalant."

"I suppose it's not about who you are, but about how you were raised. I imagine your family must have so much more structure than ours—at least, that's how Goten described it. He always said he hated it, but it would be nice to at least pretend that there's order in this chaotic world."

"Goten definitely hated it. I remember he couldn't wait to leave the house when he was old enough."

"Yeah, I know. We _both_ couldn't wait to leave the house when we were old enough. We lived together for a while until he got into a very serious relationship with Valese and things got a little weird."

She waited for him to expound on the "weird" part, but he left it at that. They were making good work of the remaining food on the table and there were now plenty of emptied serving dishes. Pan wondered if she should be joining Bra instead of conversing with Trunks, but she felt it would be rude just to leave and, to be honest, she was also gleefully enjoying the feast that she was eating at a relaxed pace.

"Your grandmother is so cute—it's like she's stopped aging altogether! I can't imagine ever having the energy to make all of this," Terri said interrupting the light clinking of utensils on plates. She'd also taken a little more into her plate likely out of boredom.

"That's one way to describe her," Trunks said with a sigh.

"Ugh, don't tell me you have a problem with her too?" Terri asked distressed.

He gave her a look that caused another reaction from her.

"Really?"

He took a long swig from the glass of water nearby. "I don't think you two want to sit around and listen to me bitch about my family all night."

Pan successfully stopped herself before expressing her curiosity though she had to comment. "I didn't realize there was so much tea to spill."

"No, I want to know what you don't like about that sweet lady," Terri said in argumentative tones, "She's been nothing but nice and courteous to me. There's not a mean bone in her body!"

"It's not that serious," Trunks said dismissively. "Hardly worth discussing."

Terri looked at him with perched lips. "So she's perfectly fine, right?"

"For someone who's married to the man who started the world conglomerate known as CC, she certainly doesn't have a lot of opinions about it. She seems forever trapped in her own little world, completely uninterested in anything without. Sometimes it's unbearable to observe. If you talk politics with her or business, she shuts down. In fact, she thinks it's 'boring' and she seemed more interested in bringing up the more mundane topic of Bra and Pan dating."

"That did come out of the clear blue," Pan said. "I wonder who she 'heard' it from that we were dating."

"She probably had no idea and decided to test the water and you two just fell right for it."

"Not everyone has to enjoy talking business," Terri said back. "It _can_ get pretty boring."

"Sure. Everyone's entitled to their likes and dislikes. It still bothers me."

"Maybe she does have an opinion," Pan began, "And she just doesn't want to reveal them."

"We're all just speculating," Trunks pointed out. "All I can comment on is what I've experienced."

"That wasn't so bad," Terri said after a moment. "I thought you were going to tell me some deep dark secret about her."

"Oh, I'm sure there are some, but I'm not privy to them," Trunks said ominously with a grin.

She smacked his shoulder playfully. "Stop."

Pan suspected that there were definitely deep, dark secrets about his father that he knew about, but she didn't feel comfortable asking. Besides, he was getting weary talking about other family members. There was one question she'd been meaning to ask him…

"I'm a little miffed you didn't invite me to your wedding," Pan said, trying to get them to indulge her with the details.

"It wasn't a big deal," Terri admitted upfront. "We just decided on a small, private ceremony just to get it over with. It was way less hassle. Coordinating with my family who likes traveling all the time would have been a nightmare."

"But it's your wedding! A once in a lifetime experience—well, at least for the first time with the same person."

"Please, ceremony for the sake of ceremony is nothing more than fanfare. I was never keen on it, but if Terri wanted it, I would have went through with it," he said glancing over at Terri with a knowing look.

"Ugh! You two are impossible! Not a celebratory bone in your bodies."

"It wasn't a good time either," Terri said further.

Trunks expounded. "Let me just be blunt. No one was in the mood to celebrate anything after Malachi's passing. It's all been extremely dreary pretty much everywhere. His music gets played all the time and no one can stop bringing it up. I've only just visited here today, but no one's actually in a good mood. I can sense that. Back then, I didn't see the point of dragging people out to some strange human ritual that neither of us were excited about in the first place especially in that sort of environment."

Pan was saddened by the news. She felt the need to apologize, but what would she be apologizing for and who would she be helping in the process? "Well, we should be wishing him back soon so…"

"That won't fix very much," Trunks said. "I'm sure you already knew that though."

"It would fix some things though, right?"

Trunks shook his head. "I don't know, honestly. All this mourning has already taken its toll on everyone here. The idea that they can bounce back from that so easily is difficult to believe. I've never seen my father invest in someone's wellbeing as quickly as Malachi's—his sudden loss would have been more painful than he's letting on. Seeing my father work with Tien like he is now; I never thought I'd see the day. I wonder if my family can make it another few months like this."

"I didn't realize it was getting so bad."

"His death wasn't at the hands of the latest threat to Earth—it was a culmination of circumstances that can't be so easily swept under the rug. I can't imagine Malachi would be unchanged by all that. No one really knows if his death was accidental or intentional. Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't just leave things as they are now instead of manipulating events in our own favor like we always do. Wasn't that the lesson we were supposed to learn from Omega Shenron? Isn't that what Dende is trying to teach us in his own way? We used the dragon balls frivolously, unable to accept the consequences of our actions. Earth and its people _have_ been destroyed. We've failed many times. Why do we deserve do-overs and not all the other civilizations lost to time? Are we not all just delaying the inevitable?"

His words were beginning to open a deep, dark pit in the back of her mind. Would she even be alive now to discuss these matters were it not for the dragon balls? Why did she and everyone else deserve to live when so many others didn't? Were Earthlings so much better than Saiyans? Earthlings were capable of destruction just as much as Saiyans, but they simply lacked the means to do it at a much larger scale individually. Peaceful, wasn't quite the word she'd use to describe Earth. Why in the world had Earth received all these chances when, by and large, none of them had even asked for it or even had known that their planet was in danger in the first place? Ignorance was usually rewarded with dire consequences, but they'd saved their planet because this was their home. This was what they were used to, and they didn't want that to change. Maybe that was one of the reasons Vegeta was communicating with more humans despite his generally selfish tendencies—he wanted to spread more awareness to the populace.

"Sorry," Trunks said after a moment when she didn't respond immediately. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, no, I was just thinking. It puts things more into perspective. All this time, I've been just waiting for us to get on with making the wish, but for some reason, the waiting has been difficult, and I didn't understand why. I think it's, like you said, because it was different. It's not like it happened in the midst of battle. It was far more mundane. I don't know if any of us was prepared for that."

"Well, let's hope things will work out anyway," Trunks said on a lighter note, "That's what we like do around here anyway."

After all that, just hoping seemed like a stale solution to a very multi-faceted issue. Was there even a solution in the first place? When would things get back to normal? When would they all be happy again? Maybe that goal was unattainable. Maybe she'd have to change what she meant by being "happy" again. Perhaps satisfied would be something more practical. For now, there was food that still needed her attention. She filled her plate once again just like Trunks did a few moments before and dug in. They were almost finished, and it was getting late. Though their pace had been leisurely so far, they both seemed to notice the lateness of the hour and subtly increased their speed. It didn't take them too much longer to clear off the table. By then, even Pan had had her fill as she sat back in her chair.

"Well," Trunks said standing up, "It's been an interesting evening. By the way, Pan, if you ever need someone to talk to, you have my number."

"Um, y-yeah," Pan said realizing he must not have changed his number since she first added it to her phone years ago. "I'll do that."

"I'm being serious," Trunks said looking at her without a hint of teasing. "I know things haven't been easy for you and I'm not the best with keeping up with people. So, please don't hesitate. I was never upset with you."

"Alright," Pan said in the face of such earnestness. "Don't be a stranger yourself."

"I'll try," he said with a chuckle.

With this, they parted ways with Terri waving and giving the last goodbye before Pan was in the dining room by herself. Using her senses, she figured out that Bra and Bunny were still near each other possibly conversing. Dr. Brief was much further possibly in his lab and Bulma's energy was so relaxed that Pan assumed she was likely asleep. Vegeta was elsewhere in the main house. That piqued her interest a little, but it was probably better to make her way to Bra. The idea of randomly striking up a conversation with Bra's still intimidating father was enough to make her abort the entire notion. What would she say to him? What sort of awkward conversation would ensue? Maybe later. Maybe much, much later. Maybe never. It didn't really matter that much anyway.

By the time Pan climbed the steps, she could feel both Bra and Bunny moving away from each other. She hoped she hadn't missed anything important. Walking down the wide main hall, Pan ran into Bra. Immediately upon seeing her, Bra ran over and hugged her as if they'd been apart for ages.

"What's wrong?" Pan asked concerned while returning the embrace with similar fervor.

"I've missed you is all. And I was a little scared."

"Scared?"

"She was telling me all about them—what they liked to eat, what they like to do, their likes and dislikes, when they started walking—well, it's only Jr. even though he's younger. How playful and courteous Machi is. How quiet and observant Jr. is. It was so much to take in. I was quietly freaking out, but they were so cute to look at!"

"It's alright," Pan said in calming tones. "Just take one step at a time. No one's telling you to be perfect on your first try and we're all going to be here to help. I have no idea how to take care of children, but I'm willing to help in any way I can."

Bra continued told hold her quietly. "Thank you," she said barely above a whisper. "Please tell me you're staying the night with me."

"Oh—I—y-yes, I am."

"You better not leave me," Bra said releasing her and standing up straight.

"I'm not leaving you," Pan said definitively, "But I do still need to go to work."

Bra sighed exasperatedly. "It's always work with you. You must really love it."

"It's something that adults do," Pan said sardonically, "Can't help it."

Bra shrugged and then took up her hand. "C'mon, better make the best of the time I have with you."

Bra was already dragging her away and Pan didn't have the will to resist her. Truthfully, she really didn't want to. The idea of snuggling up with someone who cared about her and who she cared about didn't seem like a terrible way to spend the night.

They went into Bra's old room and for a time, they splayed out comfortably on top of her gargantuan bed. It certainly brought back memories of childhood. They'd spent long weekends here together along with Marron painting nails, playing video games, talking boys, and getting into trouble on the internet. Nostalgia truly was a strange, comforting feeling—bittersweet in many ways knowing that those times were gone and would never return. Now, was their reality.

"I didn't bring any change of clothes," Pan said.

"Just grab something out of the drawer over there," Bra said with a yawn.

With a grumble, Pan climbed out of the sinfully comfortable bed and pulled herself over to the drawers that seemed miles away. Not caring if present company saw her naked, she nonchalantly stripped off her clothes and grabbed the first things she placed her hands on. Pan ended up in mix-matched pajamas, but it didn't bother her in the least. Bra might have a heart attack though. It was probably too dark to see…

"Really, Pan?" Bra said immediately from across the room. Seems she still had sharp eyesight even in the dead of night.

"Oh, give me a break," Pan said wearily. She defiantly left her clothes exactly as they were and eventually jumped atop the bed again.

Pan crawled over to Bra with a mischievous look on her face. She looked so cute gazing up at her curiously. Generally, she was not one to start anything, but she missed her lips for some reason, and she could always count on Bra to be in the mood for that sort of thing. Once Pan started engaging her, Bra caught on quick enough.

"Just kissing," Pan said after a mouthful.

"That's fine," she said quickly as she pulled her back.

They began once again and Pan lost track of the time.

"You know you can always count on me, right?" Bra said when they parted again.

Pan nodded.

"Say it."

"Yes."

"You can trust me," Bra said softly.

Pan kissed her gently this time. "I know."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force you to commit in front of everyone like that. I know you don't like rushing things. I can always—"

"No, it's alright," Pan said brushing away her worry. "It surprised me a little, yeah, but I think I do feel that way. It's just…"

"What is it?"

"What about Malachi?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, I have you."

Bra's voice sounded so reassuring that Pan was lulled into a more relaxed mood. How could she be so unconcerned about that? What exactly would Malachi think about this? Then again, did it really matter at this point?

Soon, they were climbing under the covers, exhaustion getting the better of them both. They easily moved into their more favored position with Pan lying on her back and Bra placing her head on her stomach and curling against her. Bra's arm came across her protectively and Pan placed one of her arms over her shoulder and back. Pan could feel the tickle of Bra's exhales through the thin material of the pajamas and as it slowly deepened. Absently, she ran a gentle hand down her blue hair with closed eyes. She listened a while to Bra's unhurried breaths. Whatever worries Bra claimed to have, they seemed to be long gone for now. It took only a few more moments for Pan to drop off as well.

* * *

Pan woke up to Bra scrambling off of her and a few moments later, she realized that one of the toddlers were crying. The screeching noises was enough to give her a full-on headache and it was still the early morning. All she was thinking was that it was now cold where Bra used to be. They'd gotten further entangled, obviously, by the morning and the covers were almost completely off of her. With a groan, she pulled the rest off and followed Pan into the toddlers' room. Though both Jr. and Machi had their own rooms, it seemed they were placed in a different one that Pan supposed was the nursery out of convenience. It would likely be pretty trying walking back and forth between two different rooms. Bra was already holding Machi up with a disgusted face and Pan couldn't blame her as the sharp smell of excrement came to her nose. Unruly auburn hair framed the toddler's teary face.

"Machi soils herself a lot," Bra said, "That's what Bunny told me. So I'll see about changing her." She was already taking her over to what Pan decided was the changing station that seemed equipped with everything one would need to change diapers.

While Bra dealt with that, Pan's curiosity led her over to Jr. who was just waking up with a very cute, little yawn, stretching about in his well-furnished crib. When she peered down to look at him clearly, she was immediately in love.

"Oh my god, Bra, it's tiny Vegeta!"

"Yeah, I know, he's really cute and worrisome," Bra said loudly over Machi's squeals.

"Can I pick him up?" Pan wondered if that was a dumb question, but it was too late to take it back.

"You can try!"

Jr. seemed not to even notice her yet, but she got his attention quickly when she lifted him into her arms. Then he was just looking up at her curiously and eventually grabbing whatever convenient nearby fabric he could.

"Could you go brush his teeth and stuff?" Bra asked.

"Sure, okay."

Pan wasn't sure what "and stuff" meant, but she was sure she'd figure out. Maybe she had to change his clothes? Really, she just wanted to because at this point Jr. was akin to a life-sized doll. She walked over to the closet and opened it with her free arm. Of course, the closet was full of cute baby clothes of almost every imaginable color.

"What do you think about pink?" Pan said barely able to contain a giggle.

Jr. only made a few tiny baby noises towards her as if they were actually communicating—he didn't seem upset about it.

"Pink?"

More baby noises.

"Shirt?"

"Shirt," Jr. repeated, recognizing that word and startling her with his clarity.

Pan pulled the little pink shirt from the closet. " _Pink_ shirt."

"Shirt!" Jr. repeated, now reaching his arms out to the new and interesting garment.

"Well, it's decided then. Pink shirt."

Pan also pulled out some jean bottoms hoping these would fit—she had no idea—and quickly vacated the nursery before Bra made some objection. She was supposed to be "brushing his teeth and stuff" anyway. In the nearest bathroom, she set him on the toilet with it's top closed and hung the clothes on the rack holding wash cloths. Then she set about looking for a brush and toothpaste. Conveniently, she found one with the words "Vegeta Jr." written on it in gold, incursive print—a small, blue toothbrush. "Geez, they really bought custom made toothbrushes? Of course." She glanced over at Jr. who already seemed bored as he'd sat down on the stool and watched his dangling feet kicking back and forth. He was humming some tune she couldn't quite place.

"Okay, Vegeta Jr., are you ready for me to brush your teeth."

Jr. looked up at her with a frown. "No."

"No?" Pan repeated unperturbed, "Don't you want to have clean teeth?"

"No."

"Hm, we'll see if you'll keep saying that once your teeth is rotting out of your skull."

"No."

"Open your mouth."

Jr. simply kept looking at her defiantly and she stepped closer with toothbrush in hand now holding a tiny bit of toothpaste—there was no way he had very many teeth to brush at this age.

"Open your mouth," she said more sternly.

This time, he grudgingly did so. She was surprised that worked. At least she didn't have to wrestle with him the whole time.

"Good," Pan said in relieved tones. "Just keep your mouth open, okay?"

She quickly went to work brushing the few front teeth that he had. Actually, there was more there than she'd been anticipating, but she was no expert as far as that went.

"Oh, wait…" she said to herself looking around for small cups. She found an unused stack of them near clean white washcloths and used to fill up with water. Pan had no idea if she was doing this right when she told him to gargle it—it became clear that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"See? Like this." She took a sip of the water and swished it dramatically with her mouth so that it was obvious and then spit it into the sink. She did it again two more times with Jr. watching intently. "Now, your turn." Pan grabbed him and placed him on top of the counter near the sink. When she looked around, she found a convenient stool for him to use with tiger patterns on it and finally placed him there. She filled the cup again and gave it back to him. "Gargle."

He attempted at the very least, but he took too much of the water and it ended up getting everywhere much to Pan's amusement—on the mirror, on his pajamas, and on the sink and counter. When he turned to look at her with a smile that suggested he thought he'd accomplished something, it almost melted her heart.

"That was perfect, but let's aim for just the sink next time," Pan said grabbing a washcloth to clean his face off.

He smelled like toothpaste now along with the scent of bubble bath she'd smelled on him this morning. Someone must have given him a bath last night. She supposed washing his face would suffice for now.

"Okay," Pan said after she was done fussing over his face with soap and water. His pajamas were still a bit wet, but they were going to be changed shortly. "It's time to change clothes," she announced. He seemed to understand what that meant as he instinctively looked over at the clothes she set aside. "Yes, those clothes."

She unzipped his onesie which he stepped out of expertly without being told. Then she placed him on the floor so that it wouldn't be so hard to balance. With the pants, she took them off the rack and held them down to his level so that he could step into them.

"No—me change clothes," Jr. said stubbornly as he tried to grab them from her grasp.

"Oh, alright, big boy. Let's see if you can manage to put them on yourself."

Actually, it seemed like he had the task down pat as he held the pants like she was holding it and then stepped into them—he seemed to have good balance. Then she gave him the cute pink shirt that she now noticed had a tiger face on the back. Clearly, the perfect shirt for Jr. It was a bit more of a difficult task as he found the proper placement of his hands but struggled trying to get it over his head. Pan resisted the urge to assist as it seemed like he was really determined to do it himself. She remembered always hating when her own mom kept helping her despite her protests. By the time he got it on, his hair was a little unkempt on the side which she fixed up easily.

"Oh—wow, your hair is really soft!" she said running her hand through his hair now just to feel the texture. "I thought it'd be tougher. I wonder why it sticks up like this then…" She played with it a little, pressing it down only for it to pop back up again—it was far too cute not to try it again a few more times. But then he was batting her hands away in irritation. "Alright, okay, sorry," Pan said sheepishly.

"Look at you all dressed up," Pan said straightening his shirt out a bit. "Are you hungry now? I bet you're hungry."

"Hungry," he agreed excitedly. It was probably the most excited she'd seen him.

"Okay, follow me then."

Pan remembered Bra had mentioned how Jr. could walk and described him as "quiet and observant". She supposed that description was apt considering she'd managed not to end up with a bawling toddler on her hands and the attempt to gargle water could have gone worse. She couldn't help but think that she'd gotten it a little easier with Jr. rather than having to deal with Machi. Pan didn't walk too fast as she knew someone with such short legs would find it hard to keep up. She couldn't stop herself from grinning as he waddled determinedly behind her. Once they got to the stairs though, she wasn't too keen on letting him go down quite so many at one time. They were much too steep for him. Pan took him into her arms without a second thought. She expected him to make a fuss, but he settled comfortably into her shoulder. After making it down the stairs though, he was already trying to wiggle out of her grasp.

"Okay, okay, big boy," she said setting him down.

He was back to waddling again much to her continued entertainment as she led the way. By the time Pan made it to the dining room, Bra and Machi were already there. Machi was already in her booster seat with her little apron on with a bright smile on her face. When she wasn't crying, Machi seemed like the happiest toddler in the world and she was giggling at Bra's antics as she made silly faces at her.

"Finally, Pan," Bra said upon seeing her. "Took you long enough! I thought you got lost or something."

"Well, Jr. insisted on walking here himself."

"After I got Machi changed, it was smooth sailing from there." She paused when she saw the shirt Jr. wore as he emerged from the hall. Then she laughed. "Really? A _pink_ shirt? I think that was Machi's."

"Please, like girl clothes are different from boy clothes at this age," Pan said, "Besides, Jr. likes his pink shirt. Isn't that right, Jr.?" She scooped him into her arms now that he'd made it in the room. There was a booster seat already set out for Jr. which was right across from Machi. "You like your pink shirt, Jr." she cooed pointing at his shirt. "Don't you?"

He pointed at his shirt and then proclaimed, "Pink shirt mine!"

Bra was already rolling her eyes at this. "Well, he already has more fashion sense than Machi—she could care less what shirt she has on."

Pan set him easily in the booster seat and they were soon ready for breakfast to begin. She'd already lost track of time. When she looked on her phone, she let out a sigh or relief. It was still early, but she had an hour left before she needed to be at work. It was one of the few times she wasn't really looking forward to it. She just wanted to hang out with Machi and Jr. for the day or maybe a few days. Maybe a lifetime. She wanted to learn more about Jr. and be surrounded by Machi's apparent good mood. It did wonders for the general despondency she'd been in for a long time now.

"Alright, well, Bunny says to let them drink first and then feed them."

"Sounds backwards, but okay."

Bra shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me, but I guess she already started them on a routine. We have some special cereal that Bunny prepared for them—just add milk. They, apparently, both really like it. I'll get that and you can get the formula. Jr. can drink from a cup, but Machi is still a little messy with that so use the sippy cup for now."

With game plan in mind, the two of them went to work. Pan didn't have too much work to do for the formula since Bunny had already made it last night and stored it in a small refrigerator set at the proper temperature. Something told her that part Saiyan babies were less finnicky about their formula than purely human ones. And looking at Jensen, who knew what sort of needs Jr. actually had. Would he grow up quickly like Jensen? He was already showing signs, but Machi still appeared a little older or at the very least, a little taller. Jensen had already been able to walk and talk within days of his conception according to Malachi. Perhaps this was something to ponder on later. For now, the two of them seemed normal enough.

Pan brought the drinks out to the two wiggling toddlers who'd been having some sort of conversation with each other, but it seemed to be in a baby language she couldn't quite understand. No one was crying at the very least. They quickly perked up with the new addition of food. She placed the short cup on Jr.'s table and the sippy cup on Machi's. Machi knew exactly what to do grabbing it easily with her hands—perhaps she wasn't too far away from using a regular cup after all. Jr. seemed a bit more careful, balancing the cup in his hands and tilting it slowly to his mouth—he was full concentration which looked adorable on one so young. Machi finished hers in the next minute now thumping the cup around on the table—it wasn't quite annoying enough for Pan to try and take it away especially since she seemed to be having such a great time doing that simple activity—as well as making baby noises along with it in tune.

Jr. finally got a mouthful and then he gleefully spit it out much to Machi's delight who was already giggling and clapping.

"Again, again!" Machi yelled excitedly.

"No—don't you dare," Pan said rushing over to the child.

He'd already gotten another mouthful drinking a lot quicker now as if reacting to her fast approach. At the same time she grabbed the cup away—which took a bit more force than she was anticipating—he spit the formula directly into her face with the same triumphant smile she'd seen in the bathroom earlier. It was still quite cute, but she was now soaking in baby spit and formula. Luckily, she hadn't changed clothes yet.

"Really, Jr.? Drink, don't spit!"

"Oh my god, what's happening?" Bra said in disbelief with cereal in hand. "Oh, no, he's all messy now!"

"It's okay, I'll change him later. Jr. just thought he was being clever," Pan said standing up straight now. She looked for a paper towel amidst all the laughter. Somehow being laughed at with cute little baby laughter wasn't all that stinging and were she not so upset, she might have joined in.

Bra already looked like she was stressing out and Machi was still proclaiming "Again! Again!" It was starting to turn into a dumpster fire. The cup was snatched out of her hand by an invisible force. Pan looked around and saw that no one was close enough to have done that. It took her a moment to realize that the cup was levitating in midair. Both Pan and Bra looked on stupefied by the display.

"Fire!" Jr. cried out and just like that the cup exploded sending flaming bits everywhere.

"Again, again!" Machi continued to exclaim clearly unfazed by it all and enjoying every bit of it.

"Oh, no you don't!" Pan yelled running over and yanking Jr. out of the seat and holding him like a football as she sprinted out of the dining room before things really started deteriorating. "I got him, just take care of Machi!" Pan called into the dining room.

"Okay," Bra called back in a trembling voice. She seemed on the verge of tears now. It couldn't be helped at the moment.

Pan was sure Machi would be much easier to manage since she seemed so agreeable. Hopefully, that might calm Bra down a little. She held up Jr. who was clearly still in good mood, kicking about happily. "Bad baby," Pan admonished.

"Bad baby?" he repeated as if it was foreign.

"Yes! Bad baby. You only spit in sink. You drink at table."

"Fire baby!" he said loudly.

"No—bad baby!" Pan argued back, but he didn't seem to be understanding completely.

"Ugh, all this racket in the morning," came a rough, annoyed voice from the direction of the stairs.

Pan was a little startled by Vegeta's presence. Not only had she not sensed him coming, but she hadn't heard him as well. "Oh, sorry," she said quickly.

Time was running short for her. She still had to get ready too and now she had to clean Jr. up again. Her work clothes were at Malachi's place, she didn't really have time for breakfast herself which would mean she'd be miserable until lunch, and she still needed to speed off to her jobsite and try not to mess up her hair and clothes in the process. Vegeta was looking at her now with a raised eyebrow likely noticing the mess covering her and Jr. If she wasn't mistaken, she could also see the beginnings of a smirk. Then a thought came to her mind born out of desperation.

"Here, could you take him?—I need to get to work."

To her surprise, he held his arms out without further ado. "Fine. Give him here."

Not wanting to spoil her good fortune, she handed the little troublemaker over to Vegeta and jetted up the stairs. Halfway up, she wished she'd paused a moment to fully appreciate the image of Vegeta holding a tinier, cuter version of himself—someone needed to take a picture of that to further immortalize that very precious moment. She'd have other chances, she supposed.

Everything else blurred by quickly. She took a quick shower changed into another one of Bra's outfits and flew off from the balcony in Bra's room into the skies. Today was going to be a hectic one. She had a few surgeries scheduled today and who knew how the other patients were recovering. Then she'd inevitably have to return to the Briefs residence. Secretly, she was looking forward to that, but for now, she didn't want to be late.

* * *

 **AN** : No guys—I swear I'm not good at all this romance stuff, but here I am again. By the way, I'm still calling Bulma's mom Bunny despite learning not too long ago that her name is apparently Panchy. I think I just saw every other fanfiction referring to her as Bunny and I just went with it. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if anyone in the anime ever refers to her by name…

Everyone, a lot has happened since my last upload. I'm not in quarantine anymore (because America is stupid and is continuing to fumble its pandemic response) and I spent those two months doing everything except writing on this fanfiction. I'm someone who's already a partial hermit and I was in full hermit mode during that time—it was great. That aspect at least.

But the deep, festering wound that America and the world has been harboring is beginning to manifest in more obvious ways—I'm talking about the BLM movement. George Floyd's death was the tipping point. Another civil rights movement is underway, and it remains to be seen if it might create a lasting change in the world. Make no mistake, these times are becoming quite tumultuous all while during a major pandemic, one that has the uncanny ability of testing how resilient a country's economy is and how well it's government can take care of its people.

It's ironic how many themes in this story correlate to the real world. First of all, both of the main OCs in this story are black, if that wasn't obvious to you. Malachi is loosely based off of Michael Jackson and Auden is a purely made up character I made years ago in an unpublished original work of mine. Both are asexual (because why not) and both had to find their own way out of poverty. Simply being impoverished will give you a whole host of disadvantages and issues from physical to mental. Very few people can improve their circumstances. The exceptions to the rules are those who happen to have a marketable skill that they excel at over most others. Black people are disproportionately in the lower income brackets and I draw from my own experiences as most authors do when creating stories and characters from my very humble beginnings.

Not to mention, that I've been hinting at some global catastrophe that may or may not be occurring in the future. I wasn't expecting to also be living through an actual global pandemic, but I suppose I could use these experiences in my story as well.

Anyways, everyone, stay tuned for more updates. Rest assured, I have not forgotten about this story, I just haven't been in the mood to write. Hopefully, I'll have the next update in sooner than the last.


	10. A Strange, Little Episode

**Bra was back.** Jensen had strolled onto the Briefs residence and sensed her immediately. Even with time, his hate for her had not cooled. Bulma had texted him earlier that Bra would be coming back, but Jensen wasn't sure if that was really happening. Bra was allergic to responsibility. Why would she care about her own children? She certainly didn't care much about him. He didn't want her to in the first place.

Jensen was nowhere near the main house and he didn't feel like approaching it any further. He knew that if he was in the same room with her, he wouldn't be able to maintain his composure. He closed his eyes trying to calm his racing heart. His room was in the main house, but he decided then that it would probably be better to occupy one of the many unused living quarters strewn throughout the property. He also still had a capsule house he'd taken from one of the million caches Bulma had in almost every location on the property. There were several lines of capsule houses that Bulma was always updating. One could scarcely walk a few steps before stumbling over yet another capsule. That he had one on hand wasn't exactly a surprising development.

When his phone started vibrating all of sudden, he answered without even bothering to look at the caller ID. Only one person would be calling him at this hour. Him and Aster had decided it was best that they parted ways for a little while so that they weren't so absent from their families. Already, she was calling him.

"That bitch is actually living here!" Aster said in a quiet but angered voice.

"Who?" Jensen asked confused, looking off into the horizon—the stars were just starting to peek out for the night.

"That woman from before you saw when you visited. Just get over here! I need to show you something."

"Fine, I'll be there in a few minutes."

It was better than futilely trying to regain his composure all night and trying to convince himself that it would be unseemly to pick a fight with someone who couldn't really defend themselves. The only thing that stayed his hand was the thought that his father would be deeply disappointed. He'd desperately wanted him to give Bra another chance. Jensen so far couldn't think of a reason to do so.

Without a second thought, he took off into the air and sped off to Aster's place—a nice apartment complex near the suburbs. It didn't take him long to arrive and the door was open when he tried turning the knob.

"Come look at this," Aster insisted upon him arriving, grabbing his hand, and dragging him past the living room, down the short hallway to the room at the end.

The door was cracked a bit, but now Aster carefully pushed the door open a little further so that he could peer inside. Jensen had to wait for his eyes to readjust in the pitch blackness. Eventually, he could see two sleeping forms under the comforter, both quietly snoring, one turned away and the other on their back. It took him another moment to realize who was who. They seemed quite peaceful, so much so that it felt a little intrusive watching them mundanely sharing a bed as adults tended to do at night. It was making him tired as well seeing as he'd not had a proper rest in some time—Aster kept him up all hours of the night deep in some conversation that neither would feel like ending in a timely manner.

Jensen stepped back, closing the door the way he'd seen it, forcing Aster to move back as well. He looked at her questioningly. "So what?"

Aster frowned at him, grabbed his hand, and dragged him to the bathroom now, switching the light on. He hissed at the sudden introduction of light, but Aster was already pointing at some skin care products on the sink counter.

"See, look!" she said angrily, but still in her quiet voice. "That gold digger must have had him buy that—I don't believe for a second that she could even afford it. That's like a thousand dollars' worth of product right there."

"A thousand dollars?" Jensen asked more surprised about the price tag than anything else.

"C'mon, I found something else too," Aster said, already dragging him along. Hopefully, this was the last thing she wanted him to see.

Aster took him to the kitchen and switched the light on there. Her voice was still quiet as she pointed out how full the refrigerator was with leftovers. "It's never been _this_ full before. Dad doesn't cook this much and definitely not enough for leftovers."

Jensen remembered that he hadn't eaten anything that day as he gazed at all the readily available food, wondering how Aster could somehow spin food in a fridge as being the worst thing ever in the world. "Let me just…help them out with that—I doubt they'll be able to eat all of this…" Jensen said eyeing something that looked like stew and another that was full of rice.

"Jensen," Aster said with a frown, "You're actually gonna' eat that woman's food?"

"Why not? Didn't we do that last time?"

"Well—that was different," Aster said haughtily. "We were tricked because Dad said _he_ was cooking, then that bitch decided to get in the way."

"I'm hungry," he said simply, tossing said containers into the nearby microwave and putting it on for a few minutes.

Speaking of that time, Chi-Chi's cooking was obviously top-notch. Better than Bunny's in his opinion, but then he preferred more rustic tasting food over "perfection". He leaned on the counter watching the containers spin slowly inside.

"This is bad," Aster continued standing just out of his view. "First it's Pan, now it's Chi-Chi, but now it's _much_ worse. I don't even know how long she's been here cozying up to him. You have to help me stop them! Maybe you can do one of your mind tricks."

Jensen glanced over at her. "You know I don't like to resort to that kind of thing unless I have to. You were so worried about Pan, but then nothing happened," he reminded her. "Maybe the same thing will happen here."

"No, this is different. Pan was never _staying_ here. You don't understand. Dad sleeping in the same bed with someone?—that's taboo! I can barely even believe what I'm seeing. Please, Jensen, you have to do something. I don't want to see him get hurt."

Jensen flicked his dark hair back from his eyes with an index finger as he stood up straighter to look at her better. "I really don't feel comfortable manipulating people like that. You have to give me some real evidence that someone's really getting hurt or that it'd even be fun to do."

"I told you about my dad. He's so naïve and vulnerable. I'm always having to step in and save him from his mistakes."

"Yeah, you told me about that and then I met him the other day. He was pretty intimidating. When he looked at me, I felt like a small, annoying child and I didn't want to give him a reason to think I was hurting you in anyway—I would hate to have him as an enemy. And I couldn't read his mind. That usually happens when someone is so powerful that it creates a natural barrier to my probing. Like Vegeta or Pan. So I can't manipulate him to do anything anyway."

"Intimidating?" Aster asked flabbergasted, "Are we even talking about the same guy? Dad wouldn't hurt a fly. You were just being all self-conscious 'cus he's my dad and you wanted to leave a good impression."

"Well, there's that, but…" Jensen turned back to the microwave, "The way he got pissed off the more you kept pushing him about those pills—if looks could kill…"

"It's cause of that woman—I've never seen him get mad at me before."

"I saved _you_ that day. I may not be able to read his mind, but anyone could tell he was this close to going completely off the handle."

"Please, he was never going to hurt me."

"Right," Jensen chuckled. "Anyways, he didn't seem so vulnerable and he definitely didn't seem all that naïve. I'm sure he's really nice to you, but to anyone who's not you—it's definitely not the same."

"I've known him since forever and the person you're describing doesn't even sound like him at all."

The microwave started beeping so Jensen popped open the door and carefully took out the containers. When he placed a utensil in to see if it was heated all the way through, he saw that it was still frozen in the center. With a sigh he took out a plate from the cabinet and decided to pull out what he could onto the plate and microwaved that instead. "Maybe you don't know him that well. You just know one side to him. All I'm saying is that from the outside, he's kinda intimidating. His voice isn't rough or anything, but it's deep and somewhat commanding with perfect diction—as soon as he says something, I'm sure everyone's paying attention and I bet he uses that to his advantage. Didn't you say he was a director at CC?"

"Yeah, that's what he said."

"Very prestigious and at a place like that—you have to know _something_. They don't just let anyone work there and it's even harder to move up in the ranks. You can't be a pushover."

"How do you know all that?" Aster asked with arms crossed.

"Is that even a real question? You know where I live and who I live with. I hear stuff all the time and it's even easier when adults don't think you're old enough to understand things."

"Well, even so, I know him better than anybody. I know what's best for him—trust me. We have to get rid of Chi-Chi."

Jensen watched the microwave with a dreary expression. There was no way he was going to do anything about Chi-Chi no matter how much Aster begged and pleaded with him. For one thing, if either Gohan or Pan found out about it, his life would probably be forfeit. Other than Aster's word, nothing terrible seemed to be happening. He understood her need to want to protect her father. After all the stories she'd told him about Auden, he was practically a dainty flower that should never leave the house. His own impression of the man didn't seem to match her description, however. Either there was something different about him now or she didn't really know him as much as she thought. When the microwave beeped again, he took it out and found the food to be piping hot. He placed it on the counter waiting for it to cool off some as he carefully mixed the contents to even out the heat. It smelled heavenly, but he didn't want to burn his tongue off.

"Unless someone has made a conscious decision to do so, it's not good for people to isolate themselves from others. Any therapist will tell you that. It must be incredibly lonely and exhausting to always keep others at arm-length."

"He has me."

"Yeah, his daughter." He glanced over at her. "That's not enough."

Aster looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Why not? He can tell me anything."

Jensen shook his head as he felt how hot the plate was. Determining that he could lift it with his bare hands without too much trouble, he grabbed the sides and headed for the dining room table with Aster in tow. "He's not going to tell you everything. That's how dads are or parents for that matter. He raised you as best he could, kept a roof over your head. He'll always see you as someone to protect or provide for, not someone who's his equal with which to share everything with. Those boundaries are there whether you choose to acknowledge them or not." Jensen climbed into one of the chairs after setting the plate onto one of the placement mats.

"He's…told me something like that before," Aster said faltering a little. "And it still doesn't make sense. Relationships can be whatever we make them. We don't have to follow all the rules."

"Those rules are there for a reason and for someone like your father, they probably mean a lot."

"What do you mean, 'someone like'?"

"From what you told me, he doesn't express himself physically in a romantic relationship—which means the whole thing must be some sort of mental exercise for him. If he treated you the way you wanted him to, there would no longer be much distinction between someone who he's romantically involved with versus a close friendship with a family member. That line is probably more heavily drawn than most—it's probably really important. I'm just speculating."

"It sounds like you're making excuses." She was pacing back and forth in front of Jensen as he partook in a very late dinner. "It's sounds like you're totally okay with him engaging in all these risky behaviors. It always looks fine at first. We can all come up with convenient reasons as to why it's fine for someone to put themselves out there, but you have to put it into context. Taking a risk means something different for Dad. I told you that before and yet you're sitting there like all of this is normal, not even taking any of that into account."

Jensen finished off a few bites of food before responding. He paused and looked at her squarely. She stopped moving for a moment. "Listen to me, Aster. I guess I'll have to tell you this plainly. Unless you actually plan on dating your own father, you will never be enough."

Aster gasped involuntarily at the very notion. "Th-That's not what's I want at all! You're putting words in my mouth."

"Keep your voice down," Jensen said wearily. "I'm not even supposed to be here right now."

Aster frowned and then pulled out a chair to sit down in. "Didn't you say it's easier to manipulate people when they're asleep?"

"Perhaps."

"This is the perfect time then."

"It's as if I've been talking to a brick wall." He continued on his food in earnest deciding the taste was better than trying to further explain himself to her.

"After everything I've told you about Dad, you _really_ don't think he's in a dangerous situation? I still can't believe what I'm seeing right now. You haven't seen him when he's completely broken. I don't want to see that ever happen again. I _can't_ let that happen again."

"Alright," Jensen said after he'd down the majority of what was on the plate. "In theory, what would you have me do?"

"Make her disinterested in Auden. Make her want to distance herself."

"And what if she actually likes him?"

"So what? It doesn't matter."

"What if they both like each other?"

"Dad would get the memo if she decides on her own to leave him. He did with Pan."

"Manipulating something like love is pretty risky. I'm not sure if that's something I ever want to touch honestly. I'm also not an expert in figuring out how something is going to affect someone. Often times, little changes around the edges is all it takes rather than completely changing someone's mind."

"Okay, then do that."

Jensen sighed wearily at this. "I'll think about it."

"You'll _think_ about it?" Aster asked as if it should have been a done deal already. "Meanwhile, that woman is pushing him closer and closer to the edge of a cliff."

"I get it. You don't have to be so dramatic. I just have to be careful about this stuff. No matter how you slice it, it's never a good thing to impose your will on others. Like I said, there has to be a really good reason or something that won't change things too much. What if someone decided that they knew what was best for us and forced us to act accordingly? We would hate that, if we knew it was happening."

"But people don't know when it's happening, right? When you change someone's mind, then it's changed. They're none the wiser. No harm done."

"That's true. It's just hypothetically, if people knew, they wouldn't like it."

"To hell with your hypotheticals."

"I like hypotheticals."

Aster rolled her eyes at this and then walked over to take up his now empty plate.

"Hey," Jensen began when she did this.

"I'll take it. You're my guest after all."

Jensen still protested, but Aster ignored him as she went to the sink and quickly cleaned everything up including the empty containers, placing them in the drying rack. All Jensen could do was watch helplessly, slightly embarrassed.

She turned back to him with a wink. "So, are you gonna' stay here and keep me company?"

"I guess I should go back home," he said looking away.

"You don't actually want to go home," Aster stated matter-of-factly. "I can tell. Just stay here with me. You know I have a room all to myself."

"And it's okay with your dad that I'm here unannounced?"

"He doesn't care. He lets me do whatever I want."

Jensen had his doubts about this, but it sounded better than having to be in the same vicinity as Bra. He'd never get any sleep, if it came to that. He took her up on her offer. It wasn't as if they hadn't shared a bed together before, they simply hadn't done it at her place.

Her bed was probably the smallest one they'd tried sleeping together on. She was constantly apologizing, but he didn't care. Jensen hardly had a preference of beds. After attempting various positions, they ended up in the obvious one where they laid side-by-side on their back at least for the time being looking up to the barren ceiling.

"It's been awhile," Aster said quietly, "Since I've spent much time here."

"Well, you always kept saying it was boring and there's nothing to do."

"That's 'cus it _is_ boring with nothing to do. Your place is way cooler. You could get lost in there. I can't imagine living like that."

"This seems nice too. Everything's closer. You know where things are. It feels…a little safer."

Aster chortled at this. "I _guess_ , but there's a lot more random people around. I've never met our neighbors before."

"Hm, maybe they like keeping to themselves."

"Everyone likes keeping to themselves."

They were quiet for a while as they had no more to say to one another. Aster was already yawning which in turn caused him to do the same eventually. There was a bright streetlight just outside the closed blinded window that his eyes kept drifting to. He should have been annoyed, but he didn't have the energy for that sort of thing. It was just an oddity. His room had always been completely dark at night. Here, in the midst of the city, things still felt alive. He could still hear passing cars. It was quiet enough, though, for anyone truly tired enough to fall asleep.

"Aster?" Jensen said quietly.

When she didn't respond, he knew she'd already turned in. Must have been nice. But he was restless as he stretched out a little more on the bed. He couldn't move too much or else he might disturb her. He had to listen closely to hear the soft whispers of her breath as she slipped further into slumber. He wondered if she'd be so keen on manipulating minds, if it was done to her. She would have been an easy target, a prime target actually. He knew how her mind worked so well that he could better understand how changes to her thoughts would affect her emotionally. Of course, he could never bring himself to do it, but it was always a habit of his to forever lose himself in what-if scenarios. What would he change about her? He couldn't think of anything at the moment. Maybe there was nothing to change. Anything that would take away from her passionate nature would be a literal crime. When she really cared about someone, she would go to extreme means to make sure they were always safe and always happy. Sometimes it could be smothering, but in the case of her father, it was a little inappropriate. It wasn't like he was the injured lamb she'd made him out to be. He was far from that, but she simply couldn't see that for herself.

After staring at the ceiling for a while, he climbed out of bed and quietly made his way down the hall towards the door of Auden's room. Even without fully opening the door, he could still hear that they were definitely asleep. When he stepped him, he noticed they'd changed positions again—turned toward each other. He'd come up with something that he felt comfortable engaging with that didn't include actively sabotaging a relationship. There was an underlying issue that Jensen felt Aster was more concerned about and her calls for kicking the woman out was just a means to an end.

When he felt he was close enough, he closed his eyes so that he might parse through the thoughts of someone who would otherwise be impenetrable were they fully conscious. He wasn't altogether sure if anything was happening since he still found himself surrounded by darkness. He stepped forward a little and felt that the ground beneath his feet sounded a little different than the carpet he'd been standing on before.

"I wouldn't go any further if I were you," said the very familiar voice of Auden. "You might fall."

He didn't seem particularly concerned about that. Jensen sensed an overall disinterest in his tone. In any case, he'd successfully entered his dreams. Manipulating thoughts were more straightforward than this method, but it was the only avenue left to him at the moment. For Chi-Chi, there were plenty of people who still cared about her and might retaliate if anything went wrong. With Auden, there was far less risk associated.

"Thanks," Jensen said turning towards the voice. He couldn't see anything though. Jensen stepped back a little, but it was a little disconcerting considering that he couldn't see his own feet. "Are you busy right now?" he asked as the silence drew out and became more pronounced.

"Not really," he answered simply. "I was waiting for something, but I can't remember what that was."

"Maybe it wasn't anything important," Jensen replied, already seeing an opening. "Maybe you were waiting for me."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"I wanted to talk to you about Chi-Chi."

Jensen waited for a response, but Auden was strangely quiet.

"I think you should be careful around her. You should protect yourself against any potential downfalls."

There was more silence and Jensen was beginning to feel a little apprehensive. Was he still there or was he talking to the air? "Auden?"

"I've heard that voice before," Auden said distantly. "I can't seem to place it."

Jensen moved closer to where he was hearing the voice in hopes of seeing something in an environment that seemed entirely featureless. "It's not really important. I just wanted to warn you. Your daughter is very worried about you."

"Of course she is," he said back wearily. "I can't even pee the wrong way without her losing her mind."

"That's…just her way," Jensen said resisting the urge to laugh. He was trying to maintain a somber mood so that he could be perceived as someone to actually listen to.

"She's seen me at my lowest—it must have really bothered her how easily and how completely I could give up on everything. Sometimes it's easier not to fight at all. You realize how overwhelmingly hopeless it all is. You find yourself falling with nothing to grasp onto. It becomes inescapable. Why must so many of us fight and struggle for so long just to achieve some modicum of happiness? Why is it so important that we do? And why must there be someone who cares that a person has decided that it simply isn't worth it any longer?"

"Auden…" Jensen said slowly wondering over all the rhetorical questions. He couldn't think of an easy answer. It was true. Happiness was often so fleeting that perhaps, if it was our goal, it wasn't worth so much suffering to achieve. "Sometimes I wonder the same thing." It was people like Aster who insisted that it was worth it without question, without ever spending much time figuring out why that was the case. Perhaps that was one of the reasons he spent so much time around her—so that he could keep fighting no matter how hopeless things become.

"We can't predict what might happen from day to day, but living inside of a bubble or hiding somewhere in a cave never to see the light of day, is not living at all, it's simply waiting until the inevitable end. I understand her worry, but I'm willing to take that risk. I think it's necessary for my continued sanity. I hope one day she could respect that and not blame herself if something happens to go wrong. She cannot control the world around her to suit her tastes. Attempting to do so will eventually bring her more misery than one person could possibly handle. People make their own choices—she must accept them."

"I hope she understands that as well," Jensen said after a moment. He'd never heard such sentiments articulated quite so clearly. He doubted he could relay the same words in the same way to Aster. Not that it would matter. Aster would always be Aster no matter how much he tried to tell her to stop worrying over things that can't really be controlled.

On that note, Jensen decided that it was probably a good idea to leave. He'd planted Aster's warning—that was as much "manipulation" he was willing to do. It wouldn't be something Auden could easily forget or pass over as trivial. But even with that, Jensen wondered if he was doing too much. Auden seemed to have come to his decision in a rational way—it was hard to argue with his reasoning. It wasn't as if he was being rash or didn't know about Aster's worry; Auden felt it was something he had to do regardless.

"What would happen if you fell down into that abyss?"

Auden's voice was much closer now and when Jensen turned back, he could make out a figure in the darkness. For some reason, that caused him to involuntarily shiver. He tried to leave, but he realized that he was being forced to stay. Jensen was sure Auden had no idea what he was doing, but at this point he was exerting his will over his presence—it was not something Jensen could fight against since whoever mind he was inhabiting would always have the advantage. Doubly so if it was someone who had natural immunity against him.

"I don't know," Jensen said managing to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Would you like to experience it for yourself?"

"N-No, sir," Jensen squeaked suddenly feeling quite small.

"That's too bad. I want to see it."

He felt himself being pushed back to that place he'd been warned earlier not to go. "Please!"

"It's all just a dream, isn't it? Don't worry so much."

"But—please, you don't understand—

He felt himself thrown into the air and he heard himself screaming involuntarily. Below him was a darkness even deeper than the one he'd been occupying. He'd fell down something like this before—it seemed as if everyone had at some point within their own dreams, but doing so in someone else's dream felt far more frightening and endless. While he was falling, he felt his heart beating a mile a minute and he could barely breathe. He had to summon all of his concentration to bring himself back to his own body finally free of Auden's overwhelming presence.

When he could open his own eyes, he felt himself grasping for breath as he fell to the ground—he was making too much noise. He paused in pure fear when he heard more rustling than usual upon the bed. It took his eyes a moment to readjust to the natural darkness, but when he did, he realized that Auden was looking directly at him—he'd already sat up completely. Jensen's breath caught in his throat hoping the man's terrible eyesight wasn't actually making him out.

"What are you doing here?" Auden finally said with sleep still in his voice, breaking the tense silence. "You know I can see you, right?"

"Oh, um—"

"Aster put you up to this?"

All Jensen could do was nod though he instantly hated himself for ratting her out so easily. If he hadn't mentioned her and used her as a shield to his potential wrath, things might've gone worse.

"Whatever it is you're planning on doing, I guarantee it's not a good idea."

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Now—get out of my room," he growled.

Jensen was scrambling, almost tripping over himself to get to the entrance.

"And close the door on your way out," Auden called out though not too loudly as to disturb Chi-Chi.

Jensen obediently closed the door making sure not to slam it and then ran off to Aster's room. He wondered if he shouldn't just leave altogether, but that would end up leaving the front door unlocked and either having to wake up Aster or bothering Auden more to lock it behind him. He hid in Aster's room while on full alert, sitting on the floor near the bed. Then after long tense minutes passed and nothing further occurred, he climbed back into bed careful not to wake Aster. She was a deep sleeper in the first place, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Eventually, he was back to staring up at the ceiling unable to calm his racing mind. After sighing in boredom for the third time, he thought he might pour himself a glass of ice-cold water. It was something Bunny would do for him whenever she found him somewhere still up late into the night. He wondered if she ever slept. He walked as quietly as he could out of the room once again and down the short hall that led directly to the living room that was attached to the dining room. He was not expecting there to be someone else occupying the living room already. When he heard movement there on the couch, his heart skipped a beat.

Jensen stood still as if he were a thief in the night who had just been caught red handed. Was it Auden? Why hadn't he heard anyone pass down the hall if that was the case? He took a tentative step back hoping to slink away without being noticed.

"Jensen," came Auden's steady voice. "Get over here and sit down—with all your creeping around."

He was caught and there was no use in trying to hide now. With slumped shoulders, he shambled into the living room and sat on the couch cattycornered to the one Auden happened to be sitting in. It was still quite dark, and he couldn't see him very well. It reminded him eerily of the dream. When Jensen heard the soft ting of ice hitting glass as Auden lifted a glass to place to his lips, he thought only of the glass of water he'd failed at getting himself. Now it seemed his failure would be thoroughly rubbed into his face.

"I would turn the light on, but I hate turning them on so late," he said wearily.

Jensen was wondering when he was going to begin drilling him with a million questions. He sat ramrod straight in the chair only glancing Auden's way and staring at the closed blinds directly ahead of him across the room—it gave him the illusion of safety. The silence was drawn out a while as he listened to the other leisurely taking down whatever was in that glass. He felt the man's eyes on him the entire time and he was growing more and more anxious by the minute.

"Nothing to say for yourself, huh?" Auden asked.

Jensen wanted to say something but he didn't want to dig an even bigger hole, so he remained quiet. He heard Auden chuckle at this. This man was in full control of the situation. He couldn't possibly be the vulnerable lamb that Aster was always making him out to be.

"Don't want to say anything incriminating. That's fine. I don't really care whatever it is you were doing before. Since I have your undivided attention, though, I'd like to thank you for ruining my perfectly restful night that featured no nightmares or the usual restlessness. If you desperately wanted to get on my good side, that was the perfect way to do it."

Aster claimed that her father had issues expressing emotions. Maybe she was just really bad at recognizing them. Jensen could clearly read the irritation off his tone alone. "I'm sorry." He said finally.

"Right," Auden said brushing him off easily. Jensen heard as the other took another long draft from the glass—he hoped it was water and nothing else…stronger. "I'm worried about Aster." He let the sentence hang in the air a bit before continuing. "I can't seem to stop worrying about her and I'm not sure why. I thought…Well, it took me a long time to allow her some space and independence. I always needed her to do exactly as I wanted at precisely the right time. To relinquish that sort of control over her life was one of the most difficult things I'd ever done—to trust that she could take of herself without me. Yet here I am back to square one. Back to being overly concerned about what she's doing every second of the day. I can't ignore it."

Jensen's eyes widened when he realized what he was getting at. That suggestion he had given him: to be careful around Chi-Chi and to protect himself. That had been the main point, but what if it was irrelevant? Suggesting someone to do something that they already do wouldn't do much to change someone's behavior. He'd mentioned that Aster was worried about him. Somehow the message had been changed to him worrying about Aster. There was no exact way to interpret his own abilities and there was always some level of uncertainty when dealing with dreams or just thoughts in general. It was one of the big reasons why he often hesitated to use them in the first place. They could have unintended results. He'd long suspected that his powers dealt more with intentions rather than the exact words used. Perhaps, Aster simply wanted the attention that was presently being taken by Chi-Chi. She didn't want to see her father in a relationship because then she wouldn't be the center of his universe anymore. Maybe that was the true message all along and he'd passed on her intentions onto him unwittingly.

"You're around her almost all the time, aren't you?" Auden asked.

"Y-Yes," he stammered. The guilt was already starting to trip him up. Not to mention that he had no idea that this used to be such a huge problem in the past and he was just ripping open old wounds or worse directly responsible for tearing down someone who'd worked hard to improve themselves.

"I want you to—no I _need_ you to keep me updated on her whereabouts throughout the day."

Jensen's eyebrows furrowed at the impossibility. "You want me to call—

"I want you to text me—isn't that what kids do these days? Just text me every hour."

"Every hour?" Jensen asked taken aback.

"And don't tell Aster about it. This is just between me and you."

Jensen stared at him with disbelief wondering if he was being serious. "Sir, you're…" He paused before he finished because he didn't want to piss him off even more, but it had to be said. "Crazy." He meant for that to come out with more teeth, but it was more of a whisper than anything else.

"I've heard that before," Auden replied unperturbed. "You'll do that for me, won't you?"

He sounded so matter-of-factly, that it seemed like a done deal already. He really had no choice but to agree, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It sounded too outlandish and he didn't want to just lie about it just to get him off his back.

"If you don't," Auden began when Jensen was quiet for too long, "You won't like the consequences. It's very easy for me to ruin people's lives and with you being a Brief—I'm sure you have a lot to lose whether you realize it or not. If you depend on technology in any way, it can be turned against you…very discreetly and very anonymously."

Jensen gulped involuntarily. Was this a threat? Should he take this seriously? Auden really hadn't given him a reason to think that he _wouldn't_ go to such extreme measures just to make a point. Soft and vulnerable indeed, Jensen thought to himself grimly. "Don't worry, it's not a problem—I'll keep you updated," he replied hoarsely.

"Good. As long as you make an honest effort, you have nothing to worry about."

Jensen let out a sigh of relief, however, he didn't feel very relieved afterwards. Besides, he was still being keenly observed by Auden. He could make out the fact that he still didn't have on his eyeglasses—how well could he possibly be seeing him? There was another stretch of silence and the tenseness in his muscles wouldn't let up. He simply couldn't relax in the chair—a far cry from how Auden sat with legs splayed open, taking up almost half the couch. Jensen noticed after a while that he could no longer feel the other's gaze. He was looking elsewhere.

"Ugh, my head—this is a wonderful start for a Wednesday," Auden rumbled almost inaudibly.

"I could get you some aspirin," Jensen volunteered automatically.

"Oh, really?" he said with suspicion heavy in his tone. "How nice. It's in the—

"Bathroom in the cabinet," Jensen said quickly as he stood up. "I know."

"Great."

Jensen escaped the hellhole known as the living room at nearly breakneck speed just so he could recover a modicum of sanity. Even Vegeta wasn't _that_ weird. Something told him, though, that he probably shouldn't test this theory out with Vegeta…He found the cabinet easily enough and pulled out the chosen drug for this early morning rendezvous. He noticed quickly that the cabinet was looking a lot more sparse than usual and held mostly over-the-counter medicine like NyQuil and Ibuprofen. He didn't really have time to dwell on the irregularities fearing that Auden might have some issue with him taking too long to get back.

He was still as quiet as possible, gently setting the bottle on the table and lightly sitting down on the couch so that he wouldn't convey anything that could be misconstrued as agitation. He heard as the pills were taken quite expertly considering it was so dark. Then another stretch of silence ensued. Jensen still wasn't brave enough to simply get up and leave. Something told him that he'd better not do that right now. He was still on trial.

"So what brings you here, Jensen? I heard the Briefs had quite a spacious abode—empty rooms as far as the eyes can see."

Jensen was already desperately trying to figure out an acceptable response to this. He wondered why he didn't have one readily available since it was an obvious one to ask.

"Is it too personal?" Auden questioned further.

"N-No, it's just better here. Right now."

"Better?" he said with a laugh. "Right. Must be some trouble in paradise. Are you running away from home?"

"It's not that," Jensen said immediately. He knew he was going to keep badgering him until he gave something more substantial. "It's just—I don't like the current residents there."

"Hmm, family problems?"

"Ah…yes."

"And what is distancing yourself from the problem going to do for you in the long run?"

Jensen finally turned to look at Auden, tiring of all the questions. "It'll keep me from doing something I'll regret later." His hands hand unconsciously balled up into fists.

"Do you hate your entire family?"

"No, of course not!" he said a little too loudly. "It's not like that. It's just one person. One person just gets under my skin no matter what she does."

"A 'she'," he noted and then took down the rest of the contents in the glass. "I see. You needed some time to cool off. Well, don't take too long 'cooling off'. Time is too short for petty quarrels."

"It's not _petty_ ," Jensen argued back. "That woman is the reason my dad is dead. She took advantage of his kindness and weakened him until his body gave out altogether. And now she's decided to come back home, and we're supposed to welcome her back with open arms. Well, I _cannot_. Leave it up to my family to have enough clout to hide the fact that my dad's death wasn't suicide."

"Not suicide?" Auden asked mildly interested. "Are you going to tell me that everyone has it wrong?"

Jensen wondered if he should be so candid in front of someone he wasn't completely familiar with, but it was too late and he was already on a roll. To be honest, he wanted to tell the whole world. He'd been sworn to secrecy by Bulma and _she_ could be scary too. But this was Auden, the guy who'd helped Bulma with finding the dragon balls in the first place and he couldn't be pushed around so easily. He seemed discerning enough to keep that information to himself.

"It definitely wasn't suicide. Someone administered a deadly combination of drugs to him that led directly to his death and he was already compromised as it is because he was dealing with chronic heart issues."

"Hm, and what does 'that woman' have to do with this?"

"She's the reason he was compromised in the first place. She's the reason he had to deal with all those side effects. She's the reason he couldn't simply just keep taking the medication the doctor prescribed to him in the first place because she threw them away exacerbating the issues he already had leading him to take much harder drugs to deal with his insomnia. Maybe you don't know what that feels like, not ever being able to truly rest. It makes everything else so much harder to deal with. It makes you delirious. And you start making stupid decisions because you're desperate enough to try anything that might ease the symptoms. And he died because of it. At every turn, she was there to make things worse. Never once did she take it seriously that he was only human and that needing proper care wasn't inherently bad or showing weakness."

"A shrewd lawyer could make her partially responsible for his death, but it would be a difficult case to prove. There's the glaring reality that your father was complicit in all of it. He was never forced to do anything. If anything, it sounds like he was guilty for putting his trust in someone who ultimately didn't have his best interest at heart. It happens to the best of us."

Jensen looked away when he said this. "Yeah, I know my father was being stupid, but…"

"From the outside it might look like that. It depends on what someone holds most important to them—their own wellbeing or the wellbeing of others. The legacy he might leave behind, the happiness of his family, his reputation. It's not always so easy breaking ties with someone despite the obvious signs of toxicity. For just a moment a bliss, you'll find that most people are willing to sacrifice quite a bit."

"You're…probably right."

"We're both just speculating, but you know him better than I ever will. You'll have to decide for yourself what you want to believe."

Hearing such reasoning brought the situation into a different perspective, but Bra still had a role in it all. That was still something he couldn't forgive. At the same time, he'd told his father that he shouldn't trust her, but his father had made his own decision on the matter. He was still…Jensen didn't want to even think the words out loud. Pinning the responsibility squarely on Bra's shoulder wasn't completely fair though that didn't stop him from doing it.

"Leave it up to the Briefs to hide the full truth from the general public. The amount of control they have over the information people have access to is pretty unnerving. I'm sure CC has more than a few skeletons in the closet."

"It's to keep the peace," Jensen said after a few moments. "That's what Bulma says anyway."

"Bulma says a lot of things in the guise of altruism. I'm not sure she even knows what the word means."

Jensen snorted at this and wondered how true that statement was.

"Why don't you head off to bed before you divulge any more confidential information."

The trial must have been over. Had he passed his evaluation? He hadn't meant to talk so much but it was better than having Auden suspicious of him—that might be far worse than the alternative. "You won't…tell anyone, right?"

Auden chuckled at this. "It would be in my best interest not to. Besides, you make for a very unreliable source."

"Well," Jensen began satisfied with his answer. He stood up from the sofa stretching out his muscles that were just beginning to scream under such unrelenting tension. "Good night then."

He left before Auden could change his mind. He'd wanted a glass of water, but now he just wanted to go to bed, tired out by the entire exercise. At least he'd become a bit more acquainted with Aster's father. He was just as crazy as he thought. Could a mere suggestion really set him off this far? Texting him every hour? Overbearing didn't even begin to describe it. He wasn't supposed to tell Aster, but how was he going to keep that a secret? And how serious was Auden's threat?

He crawled into bed and didn't find it too difficult drifting off.

* * *

Chi-Chi awoke to an empty bed beside her. Auden wasn't generally the early riser and that was only ever the case when he had a difficult night. She'd thought after his doctor significantly lessened the medication, he would have less side effects to deal with. That didn't seem to be the case today. For a while though, everything had been perfect. Maybe too perfect. It always made her nervous when that was case. She was always waiting for the next obstacle that would take her down from her high. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she deserved any of this. Wasn't he too nice? Wasn't he too willing to provide for her? What was he expecting in return? With a yawn, she climbed out of bed and commenced her morning hygiene routine, finishing within twenty minutes. She'd even changed clothes by the time she made it down the hallway and into the dining room. Immediately, she could hear the sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. Exactly how long had he already been up?

Breakfast in the morning smelled wonderful, doubly so if she wasn't involved with making it. She was already in a brighter mood. Being catered to was something she still wasn't used to, but she was certainly becoming a huge fan of it. Now being in her husband's usual position, she could understand why he loved it when she pampered him with food. She closed her eyes listening to the familiar sounds of meat sizzling in a hot pan. She knew that he was finished when she could hear the swishing and scrubbing sounds of someone quickly cleaning out the pan that was just used and the stovetop being wiped down as well. She was in heaven. She was being spoiled to death.

"Good morning," he said, clearly not put off by the fact that she was sitting there waiting.

He wasn't wearing his eyeglasses and it was still something she had to get used to. After coming home late yesterday, Auden told her that following the vision test, it was decided that he no longer required corrective lens. No one knew why that was the case. In fact, the doctor was so flabbergasted that he took several tests just to make sure the first one wasn't a fluke. Despite there being no explanation, they had to follow the data. He was also told to come back in once a week to see if any changes occurred just to be sure there weren't any underlying issues at play.

Now she could see those royal blue eyes of his sparkling with pleasure without any obstruction. She hoped her poor heart would be able to cope…

"Good morning," she replied with a smile as he sat the plate down in front of her with utensils already placed on it. "Oh, wow, this looks even better than last time," she pointed out. The crepes looked absolutely amazing with the swizzled chocolate syrup on top and a dollop of whipped cream.

"Well, I was a lot more careful and I had someone special in mind."

And there was that ridiculous blushing again that she really had no control over at this point. She was hoping he wouldn't comment on it and make it worse. She tried out the scrambled eggs first—not overcooked, bright, yellow and fluffy, seasoned with a pinch of sea salt and pepper. They were superb. It was almost too much. It almost didn't seem real. "You're up really early," Chi-Chi noted.

He was fully dressed as well and they had plenty of time before he had to be at work. "It wasn't a great night," he admitted without her having to drag it out of him. "I was already up so I might as well make the best of it."

"Nightmares again?"

"Not that exactly. Did you know Jensen was here?" he asked seemingly changing the subject.

"No," she said with furrowed eyebrows. "The boy from before?"

"Aster's 'friend' who happens to be a boy. Must have came in really late."

"Wait, by himself?" Chi-Chi asked confused.

"No, I'm sure Aster must have invited him. But, looks like they're both crashing here today."

"Well, that's news to me. Maybe I should make something for them then," she said thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't bother. I'm sure they can take care of themselves."

She looked at him with a grin, but then continued on her delightful plate of food. That was when she heard him yawn though he politely covered it with a hand. "You sure you're going to be alright today?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine," he said unconcerned. "You just make sure to tire me out later on today like you always do."

"That suspiciously sounds like you're looking forward to it. Maybe I'll throw in something a little extra this time."

"Maybe I've said too much," he said this time with actual worry in his voice.

Chi-Chi giggled at this. "You'll have to see. By the way, is it okay if I go with you to work again?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that."

"After spending yesterday with nothing to do, suddenly spending time in that recreational area doesn't seem so horrible."

"Then it left a good impression on you?"

"There's a lot to do there," she said with nod, "And it would be nice to talk to more people. It's just…"

Auden looked up when she let the sentence hang for a while.

"Being treated like royalty will be something to get used to."

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, nevermind. Let's just say you've left a good impression on everyone and you have far more admirers than you realize."

"As long as you're being treated well, that's good enough for me."

Chi-Chi wasn't sure if he understood what she was getting at, but she left it at that. While he wasn't completely ignorant to the culture at work, she wondered how well he knew his own reputation and how widespread it was. She wondered if he'd believe her if she tried to explain.

They finished breakfast quickly and left his apartment for good all before Aster and Jensen even began to stir. They'd be out for the rest of the day and Chi-Chi was ready for another action-packed day.

* * *

The day flew by quickly. Chi-Chi swam, rollerbladed, played pool and card games, and tried her hand at archery. Auden joined her at least for part of it much to everyone's delight including herself. He apparently didn't _have_ to spend every waking minute in the office and lab. He could take breaks if he wanted to at his discretion being the director. Chi-Chi knew that it must have been good all-around for morale as she saw the swift change from the relaxed atmosphere of the recreational area to an energetic buzz once the news spread rapidly that Auden was around. Surely he must have noticed, but she wasn't entirely sure.

Maybe he really did want to be tired out today or he just had an extra burst of energy. Whatever the case, Chi-Chi was glad to see it. She couldn't be entirely certain, but she thought she saw his phone out much more often than usual. He was at work after all, so she didn't think much of it. She was only able to gather part of his attention at lunch and that alarmed her the most. Something didn't seem right. Was his job so important that he needed to keep checking his phone for updates over and over again?

By the time Chi-Chi was strolling towards Auden again at the end of the workday, his face was already in his phone.

"After getting such a miraculous prognosis for the optometrist, you just can't wait to ruin your eyes again with all that direct light." He didn't respond as she watched him tapping rapidly on the screen likely replying to some correspondence. "Auden?" she said this time drawing his glance.

"Huh? Ah, yes," he replied slipping the phone back into his pocket. "We should get going."

"You have no idea what I just said, do you?" she said as she walked easily beside him despite his somewhat rapid pace.

He looked at her a little confused, but she didn't press the issue. Clearly there had been something else on his mind. Once they made it to the car, Chi-Chi found herself waiting almost ten minutes before he even placed the keys into the ignition, and she was wondering if she shouldn't drive herself since he seemed so distracted.

"Auden? Are we going anywhere, anytime soon?"

"Right…" Auden said barely responding to her words as he finally pulled himself away from his phone which had apparently become the most fascinating thing in the world. "To that park, right?" he asked after another long moment.

"Yeah," Chi-Chi said drawing out the word looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

At the very least, he started the car. Chi-Chi had a mind to grab the phone and chuck it out the window, but she resisted the urge. He probably wouldn't like that. He might even be overly horrified as if she stepped on a puppy—Chi-Chi wouldn't put it past him. In fact, the air was a little tense as she imagined herself throwing phones out windows and Auden not really engaging her in conversation the entire way to the usual park. Or maybe she was reading too far into things. Maybe she was too eager to sabotage something that seemed too good to be true. Maybe there was some legitimate reason why his phone seemed so important today. She tried to convince herself of these things, but she quickly grew annoyed when his phone was out after barely taking a few steps out of the car and they were making their way to their usual spot. No time for idle chatting it seemed.

Once they made it there and he still hadn't looked up, she could no longer resist the urge to do what she did next. Without any further warning, she stalked over and snatched the treacherous phone out of his hand—that got his attention quickly enough.

"Hey!" he shouted surprised. In pure reaction, he tried to reach for it again, but she was much too quick for his poor reflexes. He stopped attempting to take it back after the second time sensing that it was useless. He looked at her as if she'd just lost her mind.

"Tell me what's so fascinating on this phone today," she demanded with a frown.

His expression soon became weary as he opted instead to sit down on the nearby bench. "Let me show you."

Chi-Chi stood still for a moment watching and then decided that they wouldn't get anywhere like this. At the moment, he was looking distantly at the sprawling lawn—his thoughts seemingly on some other topic altogether. She decided to join him on the bench and grudgingly handed him the phone back. This time she watched the bright screen as he made sure she could clearly see what he was doing. It was still difficult to follow as a confusing jumble of screens flashed by with mere flicks of his thumb to eventually reveal a screen of text boxes. He scrolled to the top and then handed it to her again.

She looked at him confused. "What is this?"

"Messages," he said, still holding it out to her. "The first one is from Jensen." He indicated where that very name showed up under an image on the side. After she didn't take the phone up in her hand preferring for him to guide her, he took it fully into his grasp again. "I replied in the next one and so on and so forth."

"So the green boxes are you and the black boxes is Jensen?"

"Correct."

It started to make more sense and she was aware that he was being quite patient with her. She knew she must have been asking stupid questions, but he seemed unconcerned about that. He wanted her to understand.

"This…" she said as she began to read the messages and her eyebrows began to furrow. She was reading a long series of rather intrusive questions about Aster and what she was doing over and over again like a broken record. She wasn't sure if this was normal—maybe it was something people did these days—but she knew that it didn't sit well with her. "Geez, Auden...All day?" It took her a moment to notice the timestamps and quickly answered her own question.

"Yes."

Chi-Chi took a deep breath trying to figure out what she should say to this. "Is it something you do all the time?"

"Not in a long time. Today, all of a sudden, I had an inescapable need to know where she was at all points of the day. It was difficult for me to focus on anything else. I really don't know any other way to explain it."

"Okay," she said looking at him trying to see if there was anything else there to glean from his expression. "We should try to get to the bottom of this. Having distractions like this isn't good for anyone. Not to mention I'm sure this Jensen probably doesn't want to respond to your messages all day."

"Probably."

"So let's do some meditation again."

"The one that leads to wanton destruction of public property?"

"It won't be like that this time because you're already aware of your own ki, right? We have a different goal in mind."

She had no idea if this would work. She wondered if this was just another quirk of Auden's personality. After all, she didn't know him _that_ well. While she was used to dealing with men with strange behaviors, Auden was quickly taking the cake.

Eventually, they were sitting down on the grassy lawn with crossed legs. She started asking him a series of questions just like last time but easy ones so that he could become more relaxed—he seemed a bit tense.

"So, how do you feel about Aster?" she asked finally drawing nearer to the question she wanted to ask.

"She's my responsibility. Despite the circumstances of her birth, I wanted to make sure she didn't have to struggle all her life based on things she had no control over."

"What were the circumstances of her birth?" Chi-Chi asked wondering if that had anything to do with anything.

"It's…not important right now. At some point, I was able to adopt her and after doing so I knew that I wanted to provide the best life possible for her."

"You adopted her?" It was something a little unexpected. She'd assumed Aster was a daughter from another marriage.

"I wasn't always a fit parent, but she was part of the reason why I wanted to be in the first place."

"I see," Chi-Chi said sensing that grilling him on this point probably wouldn't be productive. He seemed somewhat evasive. "And that's why you care so much about her because it wasn't so easy bringing her into your life. Why must you always know where she is?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"You have to dig deeper than that. Why is it you don't know?"

"I…" He paused as he gave this further thought. "Because I don't understand the origin of that need. I can't…figure out why it's so different today. It seems to have come out of nowhere."

"It had to come from somewhere."

"It feels as if it was something placed there."

"Do you honestly want to know about Aster's whereabouts?"

"I don't care where she is right now. She's a fully functioning adult who is capable of making her own decisions. If she wants to tell me, that's fine. If she doesn't, that's fine as well."

Chi-Chi was taken aback by this response. Was he lying right now? She certainly couldn't tell from his voice alone. "If that's the case, then why all the messages today?"

"I don't know. I realize that that doesn't make much sense. I'm sorry."

"No—it's fine," she said reflexively even though she was thoroughly confused. "So walk me through this. If you don't really care what she's doing right now, then there's no reason to find that out from Jensen."

"Yes, you're right," he said softly as if this fact was not obviously. "You're right," he repeated with more confidence.

"Then…" Chi-Chi began struggling to find her next words. It was then that she felt his eyes on her—he must have opened them already.

"Chi-Chi, I think I'm fine now. Let's move on to what you had planned today."

"Wait, what?" she said caught off guard, opening her eyes now trying to see if she'd missed something. "Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure."

"Just like that? You better not be lying to me."

"No," he reassured her, "I'm not. This feeling—this intense feeling from before doesn't seem real anymore. I don't know why I hadn't noticed that before. It's not real and I know exactly how I feel about things. It's hard to explain."

Chi-Chi found herself staring longer than intended with a confused expression, but Auden returned her gaze with one that was steady and quite self-assured.

"I don't think we've gotten to the bottom of this, but I also think you're being completely forthcoming." She still couldn't find anything there in his expression or gaze no matter how hard she tried to see something.

"I wish I had a better explanation for you," he said standing up and then holding his hand out to her. "All I know is that it feels a lot better not agonizing over things I don't really care to know. It's plagued me all day."

Chi-Chi took up his hand and allowed him to pull her up. She supposed she didn't really need his help, but the sentiment was appreciated. "In that case, I'm glad to have been of help." The novelty was just then beginning to fade. He said he was fine. All she could do was take his word for it. "I have something special planned today, but first, stretches."

They went through a long set of stretches that were quickly becoming routine. In teaching Auden the proper way to exercise, she was reminding herself how to do it as well. Admittedly, she'd neglected doing stretches before jogging in the past. Doing so now showed her how effective they were in combating things like cramps and soreness later. She'd just been stubborn in the past, she supposed, and she wasn't trying to show off to anyone especially to herself. Pain was something she was intimately knowledgeable about. She didn't care if she experienced it, but she didn't want to be responsible for someone else sharing in it.

Auden was a great deal more energetic today. Not only had he joined her in extraneous activities at work, but he wasn't complaining nearly as much. He still wasn't as flexible as she wanted him to be, but he was definitely better than a couple days ago and not burnt out completely after doing just a few stretches. She showed him new forms to her traditional fighting technique which he once again took to instantly. Then she went back and had him recall all the other forms she'd taught. This time, to add a little spice to the session, she increased the sets and told him to move even faster than he was used to. He tried, at the very least, but she still ended up tiring him out, this time a little sooner than before. It was different though. He seemed to enjoy it. Auden was still painfully out of breath however, and sucked in the air greedily when she released him from today's torture. There was no doubt about it—he was improving ever so slightly.

"Up for a jog?" Chi-Chi teased to the red-faced Auden.

All he could manage was a few laughs.

"I'll be back in a little while then. Don't do anything stupid."

She didn't wait for a response as she started off in earnest. As she was jogging through the park that evening, she felt an extra burst of energy knowing that she was responsible for making someone stronger, making someone feel better. The evening was cooling off with the zephyr rustling the nearby leaves. By the time she decided to head back to the bench, the stars were already starting to peek out. He wasn't just dozing off this time, he was fully asleep. His head rested on his open palm with elbow perched on the metal armrest. It was as if he were modeling for a picture. Wasn't it dangerous to look that effortlessly handsome while being so enticingly vulnerable? At that moment, she wished she had a camera so that she could capture his grace and poise. She noticed how well-manicured his hands were, how the gentle breeze ruffled his blond locks, the minute movement of his chest as he breathed deeply in and out. It seemed a crime to disturb such serenity, but a bench wasn't the best place to rest.

As usual, just calling his name was enough to rouse him though it took a bit more time than usual for him to catch his bearing—he stretched and yawned. She'd definitely done her job today in pushing him to his limits just as he seemed to have requested that morning.

"C'mon, I'll drive this time."

"Alright," he said without protest as he tossed her the keys.

She didn't get many words out of him on the way back as he struggled to fight sleep for the few minutes it took to drive home—it was a good call that she'd driven this time. Once they were in the apartment, she had to stop him before he made a beeline to the back to settle down for the evening.

"Make sure you're back out here for dinner—you have to eat after a good work out, okay?"

He looked at her wearily. "Is it really that serious? It could just wait until next morning."

"No," Chi-Chi said stolidly. "It's important that you replenish yourself now or you'll make things a lot harder for yourself later."

"Guess I'll have to take your word for it," he said before making his way now to the hallway. "And please, Chi-Chi, don't make something new—we have way too much leftovers from before."

She sighed exasperatedly. "Fine! I'll heat up your precious leftovers."

That seemed to be enough to satisfy him as he continued his shuffle to bathroom. She supposed dinner would be even easier than she'd been anticipating since she couldn't convince him to just throw things away. It wasn't that leftovers were _bad_ , but she still wasn't used to them. Sometimes, it felt like it was beneath her. Maybe they were losing a bit of the nutrition by constantly reheating food and who knew when any of this stuff would expire? It wasn't like they couldn't afford to use fresh ingredients each day, but Auden seemed strangely insistent about not wasting food. She'd have to be a bit more mindful of the servings if she didn't want to deal with frozen food too often. For now, she heated up the stove and turned on the microwave to bring her stew back to life.

Auden joined her a few minutes later having taken a quick shower and changed into his night clothes. Of course, he smelled ridiculously nice like fresh linen and lavender—his hair looked soft and bright in the overhead kitchen light. Chi-Chi could imagine his hair feeling like the fur of a cat though she was quite aware that he definitely did not want to be petted like one. She'd given him a generous portion and he was barely able to finish it much to her amusement; she was once again dead wrong in what she thought his appetite might be, but she was starting to see somewhat of a pattern.

"Just checked the room out of curiosity—seems like our two troublemakers aren't here at the moment."

"They just come and go as they please, I guess."

Chi-Chi was more glad that she didn't have to deal with Aster once again that night. She wasn't afraid of her, but she didn't have the energy right now. Dealing with Pan's nosiness was more than enough. Why was it so hard for people to fathom that she didn't have to follow the same routine day after day in order to prove her sanity or her ability to make sound decisions? While this ease and comfort she was feeling was odd considering that she wasn't used to it, in theory she wasn't doing anything wrong. There was still some part of her that thought maybe she was indulging herself too much, but it wasn't loud enough to make her want to run away from it.

She was also glad to have Auden's full, undivided attention again without a phone getting in the way—her worst nightmare. There were times when she'd catch Gohan and Videl sharing dinner together with both of them completely preoccupied with their little handheld devices. If this was what technology was doing to relationships, then the future looked very bleak. For the most part, however, Auden seemed to pay her special attention despite how attached he was to his precious phone. She supposed she could work with that. Just as she was trying to ease him off his dependence on technology, he was constantly trying to increase her grasp on it. She wondered which one of them would win. Well, she was using a microwave of all things and she wasn't really against driving cars. She'd also successfully dragged him outside using the time he would have likely been somewhere else with a bright screen in his face.

Chi-Chi insisted that she would clean off the table that day so that he could be free to finally climb into bed. When she looked at his bowl after he left, she noticed that he hadn't actually eaten everything, but she discretely threw the rest of that way—hopefully he wouldn't actually have a problem with that. She was back in her familiar elements as she stepped into the kitchen for the final time that night to clean everything up and set things back in place.

He'd left the hallway light on so that she wouldn't be in utter darkness as she made her way back. She cleaned herself off quickly in the shower and finally joined him in the bed. By now she'd thought he'd surely be asleep, but it seemed he'd been waiting for her to join him because she could feel his eyes on her when she entered.

"Pretty eventful day, huh?" Chi-Chi said when he was silent for a while.

"Yeah, I hadn't really rollerbladed in ages. I'm surprised I didn't make a complete fool of myself out there."

"Even if you had, I'm sure they all would have still loved you."

"They never would have let me live it down if I'd fallen on my face," he said with a laugh.

"I hope you realize how popular you are at work. They kind of worship the ground you walk on."

He let her words hang in the air for awhile before replying. "I noticed that long ago. I'm not _that_ blind. I'd just rather not dwell on it else it'd make me uneasy. I'm not used to being accepted by so many people."

"Uneasy? Most people would be excited in your shoes."

"Hm," Auden rumbled thoughtfully. "I'm supposed to be excited? Would you be were you in my shoes?"

"Well…" Chi-Chi thought for a moment, "Eventually I would be. Initially, I'd be all shy about it, but I'd get used to it."

"I don't think I'd ever get used to it. People are far too fickle. In a snap, it could all change. One bad move and suddenly you don't matter anymore."

"Always waiting for the worst to happen, huh? I'm the same way. I'm used to things going wrong so I'm always bracing myself."

He hummed his agreement when he couldn't be bothered to form words. Exhaustion was slowly taking over. She could no longer feel his eyes on her, likely closed already in the pitch darkness.

"Auden," she began quietly.

"Hm?" He exhaled deeply.

"I hope nothing bad happens to us," she said.

He was quiet for a while and, for a moment, she thought he'd gone to sleep, but then he broke the silence. "I love you," he murmured softly.

"What?" Chi-Chi said sharply.

Her sharp voice seemed to jostle him out of his sleepiness a little. "I love you, Chi-Chi," he said more clearly, but still quietly.

"D-Don't say that so…nonchalantly like that," she replied in a voice much louder than his.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same," he continued frustratingly relaxed, seemingly unaware of her growing panic. "I just thought I might let you know at some point."

"Auden, y-you can't just…" But she couldn't quite find the right words and he was already dropping off again as if nothing alarming had even transpired.

She sat up suddenly petrified, but his energy remained languid as he slipped further into slumber, his breathing slowly transforming into light snores utterly unperturbed. She watched him in disbelief wanting to wake him up again so that she could explain why he shouldn't have said that. Instead she leaned her head back on the backboard distressingly. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute and an undeniable warmth began to spread within her. Was it really that easy then? Could someone so easily fall in love with the likes of her? It didn't seem real. It didn't seem right. _You don't deserve this. He's too nice. Go back home._ That small voice in the back of her mind seemed more prominent. It was the pragmatic one she'd been ignoring for far too long. She climbed out of bed at this, but she turned back to gaze at his curled form, peacefully resting away the day's toil, abundantly comfortably under his downy comforters like an innocent kitten curled in their favorite nest. It was difficult to tear her gaze away, but she needed to leave. She needed to breathe.

She grabbed her clothes from the closet, quickly changed and ran out the door making sure to take the keys with her so that she could lock it. He'd made her a separate set of keys. It hadn't seemed that strange at the time—just another odd quirk of his—but now it made more sense.

"Auden, I promise I'll be back soon, but I have to go back home now. Forgive me, I'm taking your car."

It was a nice luxury car and after the first time she'd taken it for a spin, she enjoyed how smoothly it drove and how easily the automatic stick shift could be slid around. She needed to mend things with Gohan already and it was a nice excuse to go joyriding for a few hours. For some reason, without any real proof, she knew that Auden would understand—well, whenever she got around to explaining it to him. She couldn't bear to interrupt the little kitten in his natural habitat. Something told her that he enjoyed sleeping more than what he was letting on, it just so happened that he often had trouble overcoming restlessness.

Gohan would be up, she hoped. He often stayed up to ungodly hours of the night unable to pull himself away from his very important work. She took the pins out of her hair, rolled the windows down, and pressed down on the speed once she made it to the freeway. Eventually, she tapped on the radio and cranked up the volume marveling at how empty the streets were at night at this hour. She felt as if she was driving to a new dimension as dotted and solid lines sped by her.

The hours slipped by almost without her knowing. Once she was within city limits, she slowed down only marginally and made somewhat risky turns making her way into the neighborhood and finding the right mansion on the street. Ironically, she did not have a key to this house—perhaps that needed to change since she'd lived there for years now and was just as able to leave the house on her own than anyone else. She leaped out of the car feeling far too energetic for someone her age at this time of night, and sped off to the front door before knocking with moderate force. She didn't want to wake everyone, but whoever was still up would hear it. Gohan had impeccable hearing. While she waited, she tried futilely to brush down her windswept hair with her hands. Eventually, she just shook it out as her dark and gray tendrils fell freely down her shoulders. This would have to do.

"Mom!" Gohan said a little too loudly as soon as he cracked open the door a few minutes later.

Chi-Chi immediately found herself in a warm and strong embrace from her eldest son who buried his head into her chest—she couldn't help but reciprocate. "It's alright, honey," she began sympathetically, "I'm alive and well."

It took him a while, but he eventually had his fill and pulled back from her. "Mom, you look incredible. I'm sorry about what happened, but I'm glad you're back."

She stepped further into the house closing the door behind her. "Just for a little while."

"Where have you been?" Gohan asked walking over to the switch and turning the lights on in the foyer.

"I was at a friend's place in West City," Chi-Chi said not willing to go too far into it. "I really have to talk to you."

"Mom, I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. I don't know what I was thinking! I was really burnt out at the time and I just wasn't in the right mood. The research I've been doing…" He looked away at this. "The implications are looking bleaker and bleaker and CC isn't doing anything to make it better."

"That contamination you keep talking about?"

He nodded at her. "The more tests I run, the less accidental it all seems. Something very deliberate is going on and I have no way to pinpoint the source of it. My superiors still say it's better to keep things confidential, that the general population should not be made aware of anything just yet."

"Are you serious?" Chi-Chi said concerned. "I mean, do they have a good explanation as to why they're keeping everything hush-hush?"

"They're scared of the widespread panic and the fact that there's no way to counteract what has already come into contact with pretty much everyone globally. It would be difficult to maintain any sort of control once the cat's out of the bag. They keep telling me they're doing all they can to flush out the sources, but it keeps returning, it keeps propagating in more and more consumer products. I say 'it' but _someone_ is doing this deliberately. That's the only way to explain all of this."

"And there's nothing we can do?"

Gohan shook his head. "The only silver lining is that I don't know how exactly it would affect humans. The real question is when will it start affecting them. That's why I need you here, Mom. It's the only way I can protect you. Not knowing where you were for days—You _can't_ do that to me, right now. It's not safe anymore."

"You can't just keep me locked up here, Gohan. Even you said you don't know what's going to happen or when. In that case, it's like any other day then. We're all at some level of danger every time we wake up in the morning, son. By the way, I can protect myself just fine."

"Please," he said looking at her pleadingly, "This is not the time to suddenly run off on some escapade. I'm telling you it's not safe and I wouldn't say that unless I was absolutely sure. Please, Mom."

Chi-Chi crossed her arms. She noticed that he looked exhausted and it seemed as if he had lost some weight—perhaps he hadn't been eating right. If she wasn't here to drag him away from his work, apparently no one would. Videl could cook well enough, but she was always tepid about interrupting Gohan in his lab. "Damn it, Gohan, since when did you lose the ability to take care of yourself? Have I been babying you too much?"

"Mom!"

"No! You look like shit and you're making me feel guilty about something _you_ should be taking care of. I don't care if the world is ending right now—you _know_ better than that, Gohan! I raised you better than that!"

"Oh my god!" he said throwing his arms up in defeat. "I give up! If you want to leave, then just do that. Sorry if my caring for your wellbeing is somehow too much for you to understand!"

Chi-Chi laughed at this and his ensuing confused expression caused her to laugh even harder. It took her a moment to reign in her laughter as his expression grew more and more perplexed though it had softened as well. "We've been living together for too long. You've forgot that I'm more than just a mother and I forgot that you're not just a child anymore."

"Maybe you're onto something there," he said in less confrontational tones. "We're already down each other's throats again—and we don't even usually argue like that."

"I know you're worried about the future, but it sounds like you still have a lot of work to do. Knowing is half the battle, you know. We need to be able to counteract whatever is about to happen."

"I wish I had an estimate or some degree at to how deeply this might affect humanity as a whole, but I would be speculating right now. Someone on a large scale has systematically altered the DNA of every single human being on this planet and I don't know how that change might present itself in the population. There may not _be_ a way to counteract anything. This may just be the new norm."

"Then, whatever's happened, has happened?" she asked for clarity.

He nodded.

"We'll just have to wait to see what comes of it then."

"Just for my peace of mind. I need to draw some blood from you. I've already done so with everyone else here."

"Alright," she said relenting. This seemed rather important. There was no sense in being reckless.

"And could you please, just for this night. Stay here while I run some tests?"

"Alright," she repeated wearily. "Just for this night."

Chi-Chi followed Gohan down into his lair. As she did so, she couldn't shake the foreboding fear building in her heart. If she was looking for something to go wrong, if she thought things were working out too perfectly, this news more than balanced things out again.

* * *

AN: This is probably a very convoluted chapter. I don't know where I was going with this and I was debating scrapping this altogether, but it has a little charm so here you go audience! Clearly, I'm always thinking of food while writing. There's way too many scenes of eating and talking! Oh well.


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